How Merced became the Valley’s ‘beacon of hope’ against Spanish Flu a century ago

Editor’s Note: This is Part Two of Sarah Lim’s column on how the 1918 flu pandemic impacted Merced County. For Part 1, read the Sun-Star’s May 17 print edition or visit www.mercedsunstar.com/living

Merced County had roughly 20,000 residents in 1918, and less than 10% were afflicted with the 1918 “Spanish Flu” in comparison to over 25% nationwide.

Merced County appeared to fare better during the epidemic largely because it adhered to the practice of home quarantine, social distancing, mask wearing, and contact tracing.

The success of this battle was not without setbacks, especially with the coming of the second outbreak.

On Nov. 30, 1918, Dr. Charles Baker, the “epidemic doctor” who led Merced County’s flu abatement campaign, made a cautiously optimistic declaration that life would return to normal in a week if the gradual disappearance of the disease continued.

Then two days later, Merced Falls became the new hotspot when 28 flu cases among the school children were reported. Immediately, County health officer Dr. Curtis H. Castle issued an order to close all the schools in Merced County.

This new development changed the trajectory of the flu fight, but Dr. Baker did not give up. Instead, he moved forward with a new strategy: containment — home quarantine or hospital isolation. Under his direction, the sickest patients were transported to the County Hospital in Merced while the mild cases were placed in home quarantine.

In addition, he implemented contact tracing, so he was able to identify, isolate, and contain every recent case of influenza in Merced Falls. By Dec. 7, a dozen homes at Merced Falls were quarantined while the rest of the county stayed quiet with very few new cases reported.

The Merced Falls strategy earned Dr. Baker the credit for establishing the first quarantine in the San Joaquin Valley.

The containment approach was gaining ground as the ratio of discharged to new flu patients was at 12:1 on Dec. 11. While Dr. Baker was able to put a lid on the community spread, he was not able to stop the infections caused by travelers.

The state reported 2,128 new cases on Dec. 12, and Merced County saw more evidence of the second wave the next day when the County Hospital reported the first increase in flu patient numbers for some days. Among the hospitalized was Rev. Edward Looney of Merced’s Catholic Church, which never closed during the epidemic.

On the West Side, Gustine became a new hotspot which required Dr. Baker’s inspection, and the new cases in Dos Palos grew daily. Along the Merced-Stanislaus county line, 30 homes with 50 cases were quarantined; and on the East Side, Snelling’s new cases were traceable to a case arriving from Stockton.

County health officer Dr. Castle took a more decisive measure ordering all schools, churches, and theaters in unincorporated areas to remain closed until Jan, 1, 1919.

Merced City, as in the first outbreak, experienced a mild increase in flu cases. Even during the apex of the second outbreak, Dr. Baker maintained that it was safe to shop in Merced stores as long as mask wearing was practiced. Statewide, the curve of the second outbreak appeared to be flattening rapidly. By Dec. 19, the state declared the most serious phase of the flu epidemic had passed and local authorities could reopen their communities and lift mask-wearing orders at their own discretion.

Believing Merced County was in a good position regarding the epidemic, Dr. Baker resigned from his post on Christmas Eve. When interviewed by a local newspaper, he praised the outstanding work of the County Hospital staff led by Superintendent Lola A. Cease for curing hundreds of flu patients despite difficult circumstances and thought the hospital was equipped above average in a community of this size in managing the epidemic.

Merced, for the most part, had been successful in its flu abatement work due to the cooperation from both the public and the medical profession and the enforcement of the influenza ordinance. Before the arrival of the second outbreak, Merced officials diligently tracked down possible flu cases, including the ones in the immigrant communities which were often under-reported.

It was during one of those visits that Mayor John B. Olcese came down with the flu and was hospitalized. Flu lingered into the New Year, but the good news was there was no “holiday flare up.”

Merced’s flu containment effort became a beacon of hope in the much-infected Valley. Modesto, where the epidemic was very severe, adopted Merced’s influenza ordinance. Meanwhile in Merced, Mayor Olcese and several of his colleagues did not want to reopen the city until the disease was eliminated.

So, on Jan. 13, 1919, they passed a stricter amendment to the influenza ordinance that required wearing a mask indoors as well as on the streets in the business district and closed more amusement businesses such as pool halls, club rooms, and dance halls.

Some business owners, along with Rev. Looney who had been defying city order by holding regular Catholic mass, protested the new law at the trustee meeting but failed to stop its passage.

Progress continued to be made in the flu abatement campaign. The reopening of churches, amusement businesses, and meeting places in Merced was finally permitted on Jan. 25. Merced’s influenza ordinance was revoked on Feb. 4 and Merced city schools resumed class instruction on Feb. 10.

When the last two flu patients left the Merced County Hospital on Feb. 18, it concluded a chapter of Merced County history.

As we all get through this difficult time, the Courthouse Museum is looking forward to reopening soon.

This story was originally published May 24, 2020 at 5:30 AM.