My local history of the 1918-20 Great Pandemic (Spanish Influenza) led to a critical examination of competing theories as to the “origin, spread and character” of the virus. One account traced its genesis to Haskell County, Kansas. There I saw a false narrative in need of debunking. An untold rival narrative fairly begged to be brought into the light.

Two years’ work resulted in a 15,000 word scholarly article, “A 1918 influenza outbreak at Haskell Institute: an early narrative of the Great Pandemic,” that was published in Kansas History, a Journal of the Central Plains, Vol. 43, No. 2, Summer 2020.

A number of panoramic photos of the Haskell Institute student body are readily accessible on the Library of Congress website. The image above was taken on May 11, 1908. A 600-mb TIFF file yields remarkable detail, as below.
