Ramsey County History – Spring 2005: “Spanish Influenza in St. Paul in 1918, the Year the City Found ‘the Wolf’ at Its Door”

Spanish Influenza in St. Paul in 1918, the Year the City Found ‘the Wolf’ at Its Door 
Author: Susan Dowd

The Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918, often referred to as “the wolf,” was one of the most lethal outbreaks the world has ever known. It came in waves. The first, in September 1918, was mild in Minnesota but did prompt St. Paul officials to draft new regulations. By mid-October, 181 influenza cases had been reported, and, with no modern medicines available to combat the disease, health officials relied on quarantine. The Red Cross handed out thousands of face masks to protect people. At the start of November, all St. Paul schools, churches, saloons, and soda fountains were closed. There was a third wave of the disease in the winter, but only a few reported cases in early 1919. The official total of cases was about 10,000, and the total number of fatalities was around 4,000.
PDF of Dowd article