The tiny village of Fletcher, Vermont proved to be the most provisional of the provisional escape communities we studied. Fletcher’s experience during the 1918–1920 influenza epidemic may simply have been shaped by good fortune, remote location, and viral normalization patterns.

At a Glance

• Type of Site: Rural village in northern Vermont.
• Population: 737.
• Pop. Density: 19.4 ppl./sq. mi.
• Geographical Considerations: Fletcher was a rural agrarian village in northern Vermont, approximately 15 miles from the nearest population center, and 35 miles from Burlington.
• Influenza Cases: 2
• Influenza Deaths: 0
• First Reported Case: Oct. 30, 1918.
• NPI Implemented: Quarantining and placarding of houses with ill patients; schools, churches, and public places closed by state order; influenza made reportable disease by state board of health.

Case Study

Historical and Demographic Background

Fletcher, Vermont, is a small, rural, remote village located in Franklin County, approximately 35 miles northeast of Burlington. In 1918, only 737 people lived in the 38 square miles composing the town of Fletcher, (a population density of 19.4 persons per square mile). In comparison, the population density of the entire state of Vermont (with just over 350,000 residents) was 37 people per square mile. The tiny village of Fletcher was chartered in 1781 from land granted to a group of influential state political and military leaders. The leader of this group and the town’s namesake, General Samuel Fletcher, was a former French and Indian War veteran and member of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Response to Influenza in Vermont

Vermont health officials took early action to monitor and prevent the spread of pandemic influenza across the state. In late September, ahead of most other states, Vermont health authorities declared influenza a “contagious and infectious disease,” thereby adding it to the list of reportable diseases and giving local health officers authority to visit and placard the homes of patients. In the set of instructions to local health officers, the state Board of Health also advised the home isolation of the ill and the use of handkerchiefs or napkins by patients. Although it was not made a public decree, the ill as well as their families were advised to refrain from attending public gatherings, movies, or other forms of entertainment, and were asked to keep their children out of school. Health officers were advised to isolate patients for at least one week, and to ask those who had been in contact with the ill to quarantine themselves for four days from the time of exposure. Public funerals were allowed, but with the provision that those who had been in close contact with the deceased or who were ill themselves would not be allowed to attend. For the time being no further action was recommended or required. In fact, the director of the state Board of Health, Dr. Charles Dalton, notified local health officers that no general closure order for schools or public places was likely, though he did make it clear that state law allowed local officers to order closures and enact other NPI.

By the last week of September it had become clear that several areas of Vermont were in the midst of an influenza epidemic. According to the Board of Health, practically all of the cases at this point were among those who had traveled to Camp Devens, Massachusetts, to visit ill family members there. The Vermont cases, however, appeared to have been milder than those observed at Camp Devens, and as a result, the Board of Health did not believe that any wider action was required as yet. Meanwhile, several towns had taken independent action to prevent or mitigate the spread of pandemic influenza. Stowe, Rutland, and Shelbourne, for example, enacted public closure orders, closed schools, cancelled church services, and prohibited public gatherings. Other areas that had begun to experience influenza cases followed suit.

By the first week of October, the influenza situation in Vermont had grown serious enough to warrant more centralized and decisive action. On October 4, Governor Horace F. Graham, like many other governors across the U.S., enacted a statewide ban on public gatherings. All schools, churches, movie theaters, and places of public entertainment and gathering were closed, and public assemblies were prohibited. Local health officers were directed to enforce the order until further notice from the Board of Health. That notice came one month later, on November 3, when Governor Graham ended the closure order.

In the end, Vermont experienced 43,735 reported cases of influenza between mid-September 1918 and February 1919. Of this number, 1,772 deaths occurred in 1918 alone. Given the likelihood of underreporting, the number of actual cases may have been more than 50,000. Despite the state’s rural nature and the geographic isolation of many of its towns and villages, more than 12 per cent of Vermont’s residents contracted influenza during the second wave of the 1918–1920 pandemic, and 0.5 per cent of its population died as a result of influenza complications.

Fletcher and the Influenza Pandemic

Information regarding Fletcher’s specific experience during the influenza pandemic is scant. The pandemic certainly did reach the general area, as St. Alban’s—the nearest town of significant size (15 miles away; population 7,588 in 1920)—had experienced enough influenza cases by September 27 to close its schools, have its hospital overcrowded with patients, and require extra lay nurses.

Meanwhile, Fletcher residents engaged in activities that increased their contact with others and from the wider region. For example, in mid-September, as the disease was spreading across the area, a Red Cross dance was held in Fletcher. A few days later, many Fletcher residents attended the county fair in the neighboring and larger town of Essex. On September 18 a solider from Camp Devens, Massachusetts, arrived in Fletcher for his wedding and 120-guest reception. By this time Camp Devens was in the midst of a major influenza epidemic: more than 14,000 cases (28 per cent of the camp’s population) and 757 deaths occurred in the month of September alone. With a good amount of fortune, Fletcher did not suffer an outbreak of influenza as a result of these potentially risky social interactions.

Fletcher did experience at least a few individual influenza cases, however. On October 30, the St. Alban’s newspaper reported that one Fletcher woman was ill and that another, Mrs. L. H. Scott, had recuperated enough to leave her home. The Scott household had been quarantined, the only recorded case of quarantine in the town. In early January 1919 the newspaper reported that two Fletcher residents had fallen ill, and that one school had been closed on account of influenza. Yet it appears that no deaths resulted from these few cases.

Research Materials

As mentioned above, the amount of primary source material relating to the Trudeau Sanatorium and the 1918–1920 influenza epidemic is minimal. Digitized sources include:

Newspapers:

• Bellows Falls Times
• Bristol Herald
• Burlington Free Press
• Enterprise and Vermonter
• Orleans County Monitor
• St. Alban’s Daily Messenger

Archival Material:

• Governor Horace F. Graham Papers, Vermont State Archives, Burlington, VT
• Town Reports, University of Vermont Library, Burlington, VT
• Vermont Board of Health Laws and Bulletins

Bellows Falls Times

Date	Title	PDF
9/12/1918	Grafton News	bft01
9/19/1918	Grafton News	bft02
9/19/1918	Grafton News	bft03
10/3/1918	Everything Closed Until October 11	bft04
10/3/1918	Grafton News	bft05
10/10/1918	Local Situation Not Alarming	bft06
10/10/1918	Grafton News	bft07
10/24/1918	Grafton News	bft08
10/31/1918	Churches, Schools Resume Next Week	bft09
10/31/1918	Grafton News	bft10
11/7/1918	Grafton News	bft11
11/14/1918	Grafton News	bft12
11/21/1918	Grafton News	bft13
11/28/1918	Grafton News	bft14
12/5/1918	Grafton News	bft15
12/12/1918	Grafton News	bft16
12/19/1918	Grafton News	bft17
1/9/1919	Grafton News	bft18
1/16/1919	Grafton News	bft19
1/23/1919	Grafton News	bft20
1/30/1919	Grafton News	bft21

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Bristol Herald

Date	Title	PDF
10/17/1918	Monkton	bh1
11/7/1918	Monkton	bh2
12/12/1918	Monkton	bh3
	Monkton	bh4
1/30/1919	Monkton	bh5

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Burlington Free Press

Date	Title	PDF
9/19/1918	Fletcher	bfp01
9/23/1918	Vermonters Die at Devens	bfp02
9/26/1918	Spanish Influenza Reaches Burlington	bfp03
10/12/1918	Five die at St. Alban’s	bfp04
10/12/1918	Husband and wife die of pneumonia	bfp04
10/15/1918	Decrease in number of influenza cases	bfp05
10/15/1918	Monkton	bfp06
10/17/1918	Little change in epidemic situation	bfp07
10/23/1918	Quarantine not lifted until Nov. 3	bfp08
10/23/1918	Fletcher	bfp09
10/24/1918	Derby	bfp10
10/31/1918	Monkton	bfp11
11/2/1918	Must wash Army dishes in boiling water	bfp12
11/6/1918	Notice	bfp13
11/6/1918	Monkton	bfp14
11/6/1918	Monkton Ridge	bfp15
11/7/1918	Epidemic passes	bfp16
11/9/1918	Influenza cases numbered 28,842	bfp17
11/11/1918	Monkton	bfp18
12/5/1918	Fletcher	bfp19
12/27/1918	Monkton	bfp20
1/3/1919	Monkton	bfp21
1/6/1919	Monkton	bfp22
1/9/1919	Monkton Ridge	bfp23
1/15/1919	Influenza toll not less than 2,000	bfp24
1/16/1919	Monkton	bfp25
1/22/1919	Monkton Ridge	bfp26
1/22/1919	Monkton	bfp27
1/24/1919	Monkton	bfp28
1/24/1919	East Monkton	bfp29
1/29/1919	Monkton	bfp30

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Enterprise and Vermonter

Date	Title	PDF
9/26/1918	East Monkton	ev01
10/3/1918	Influenza spreading	ev02
10/3/1918	Monkton Ridge	ev03
10/10/1918	Monkton	ev04
10/17/1918	Monkton	ev05
11/14/1918	Monkton Ridge	ev06
11/28/1918	Monkton Ridge	ev07
12/5/1918	East Monkton	ev08
1/2/1919	Monkton	ev09
1/16/1919	Monkton	ev10
1/28/1919	Monkton	ev11
1/30/1919	West Monkton	ev12

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Orleans County Monitor

Date	Title	PDF
10/2/1918	Influenza Epidemic Closes Town Tight	ocm01
10/2/1918	Board of Health Orders Lid On	ocm02
10/9/1918	The Influenza Situation	ocm03
10/9/1918	Holland	ocm04
10/16/1918	Influenza Toll Heavy	ocm05
10/16/1918	Holland	ocm06
10/30/1918	Sickness in Monitor Force	ocm07
10/30/1918	Holland	ocm08
11/6/1918	Holland	ocm09
11/13/1918	Holland	ocm10
11/20/1918	Holland	ocm11
11/27/1918	Holland	ocm12
12/4/1918	Holland	ocm13
12/11/1918	Influenza Coming Back	ocm14
12/25/1918	Holland	ocm15
1/1/1919	Holland	ocm16
1/15/1919	Holland	ocm17
1/22/1919	Holland	ocm18
1/29/1919	Holland	ocm19

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St. Alban’s Daily Messenger

Date	Article	PDF
9/23/1918	St. Alban’s Free of Influenza	sadm01
9/24/1918	What is Spanish Influenza?	sadm02
9/27/1918	Epidemic Still Rages in State	sadm03
10/3/1918	Grip Shows No Let Up in State	sadm04
10/5/1918	Epidemic Fails to Stop Embarkations	sadm05
10/23/1918	Fletcher	sadm06
10/30/1918	Fletcher	sadm07
11/6/1918	Fletcher	sadm08
11/9/1918	28,842 Cases of “Flu” in State During October	sadm09
12/28/1918	Fletcher	sadm10
1/9/1919	Fletcher	sadm11

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Governor Horace F. Graham Papers, Vermont State Archives, Burlington, VT

Box/Folder	From/To	Date	Description or Title	PDF
Reel S-3162	H. Graham to C. Dalton	9/26/1918	“Do you not think some general action ought to be taken by the Board with reference to this epidemic? If it is contagious what about permitting all these conventions and meetings.”	graham01
“	C. Dalton to H. Graham	9/27/1918	Letter with 2 enclosures:“I am enclosing herewith copes of two circulars which have been sent out by the State Board of Health to all health officers and which will show you what we have done in the matter of the so-called “Spanish Influenza”.	graham02
“	C. Dalton to public	10/4/1918	Closing order issued by Dalton	graham03
“	C. Dalton to public	11/3/1918	Closing order rescinded	graham04
“	Influenza reporting form	10/31/1918	Seems to be a blank form for the reporting of influenza	graham05
“	Lt. Gov. C. Coolidge to H. Graham	9/26/1918	Telegram requesting doctors and nurses	graham06
“	H. Graham to Lt. Gov. C. Coolidge	9/27/1918	Return telegram to Coolidge	graham07
“	H. Graham to Lt. Gov. C. Coolidge	9/27/1918	Letter to Coolidge explaining telegram	graham08
“		10/21/1918	Influenza reported by weeks for October up to 10/21 (by county and town)	graham09

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Town Reports, University of Vermont Library, Burlington, VT

Auditors	Year Ending	Title	PDF
FA Palmer; Thaddeus Park; WEL Walker	2/1/1919	Fifty-Seventh Financial Report of the Town of Grafton Vermont for the Year Ending February 1, 1919	vtreport01
FA Palmer; JB Duncan; FDP Howland	2/1/1920	Fifty-Eighth Financial Report of the Town of Grafton Vermont for the Year Ending February 1, 1920	vtreport02
	2/1/1919	Annual Report of the Auditors of the Town of Monkton, Vermont for the Year Ending, February 1, 1919	vtreport03
	2/1/1920	Annual Report of the Auditors of the Town of Monkton, Vermont for the Year Ending, January 31, 1920	vtreport04

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Vermont Board of Health Laws and Bulletins

Date	Description or Title	PDF
1918	General Laws of the State of Vermont Relating to the State Board of Health (Burlington, State of Vermont, 1918)	vtlaw01
12/1918	Bulletin of the Vermont State Board of Health; Information on Influenza in the United States; also, death of the President of the Vermont State Board of Health, due to influenza.	vtlaw02
3/1919	Bulletin of the Vermont State Board of Health; Laws relating to District Health Officers	vtlaw03
6/1919 & 9/1919	Bulletin of the Vermont State Board of Health; Full reprint of law establishing district health officers; disinfection and quarantine guidelines; ‘Full’ quarantine and ‘modified’ quarantine described.	vtlaw04
1917	Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont at the Twenty-fourth Biennial Session, 1917, No. 194 – Duties of Health Officers	vtlaw05
1919	Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont at the Fwenty-fifth Biennial Session 1919, No. 175 – Duties of District Health Officers	vtlaw06

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