Two Men and Young Boy

Two men and young boy of the same family pose for the camera, circa 1918. Although the clothing of the men is not much different from today's clothing, note the young boy's outfit which was typical of the day.

In late 1918 the great flu pandemic, which killed about 675,000 persons in the US and 30 to 40 million worldwide, swept into Indiana County. The very young, elderly, and infirm were most susceptible. Within a few months, 600 people in McIntyre and in nearby Coal Run were afflicted. Dozens of deaths occurred locally. Coal mining ceased, schools closed, and public meetings and gatherings were prohibited. Guards were posted to prevent persons from entering or leaving the town. One former resident remembers her mother burning the clothing of the entire family in an effort to kill the germs which caused the illness that affected her family. 

Clarence D. Stephenson, Indiana County, 175th Anniversary History, vol. 2
(Indiana, Pennsylvania: Halldin Publishing Company, 1989), 505.

Photo: courtesy Ed Setlock family collection.