How Gunnison, Colorado Tried To Stop A Pandemic—and Lost

In 1918 and 1919, the United States (like the rest of the world) was battling the H1N1 influenza A virus. Also known as 'Spanish Flu,' the virus infected more than 500 million people worldwide and caused more than 50 million deaths.

Here in Colorado, one mountain town thought it had figured out a way to stop the virus from infecting its community, but it soon found out how wrong they were. Keep scrolling to see which town thought they could stop the Spanish flu, and how it got hit anyway.

A Mountain Town’s Extreme Quarantine

In the 1890s, Gunnison, Colorado, was given serious consideration to be the state's capital. While it was a remote mountain town, it had also been a mining-boomtown. This tight-knit community was not about to let Spanish Flu ruin their local farms, small businesses, or their rail center. When the H1N1 influenza A virus began to spread across the country, Gunnison locked down.

Remembered as one of the strictest quarantines in U.S. history, Gunnison set up barricades along their county lines to block outsiders. Train conductors had to warn passengers of the town's strict entry rules, and every public gathering you can think of (school, church, community events) was canceled. The lockdown started on November 1st, 1918, and went on for more than four months.

When Vigilance Fades: The Third Wave Arrives

Gunnison's extreme caution paid off during the first two waves of the pandemic, and the town stayed untouched, considered a bright spot until the third wave finally hit. By February of 1919, Gunnison started to lift many of its quarantine restrictions. Almost immediately, the Spanish Flu got in. By March of 1919, more than one hundred residents were sick. Five residents died as a result of the flu.

Four months is a long time to hide away inside. It's a long time to keep children away from school, and it's a long time to be away from your friends at church. Gunnison learned that sustained vigilance mattered, but that enforcing long-term isolation was the hard part. Anyone studying the Gunnison quarantine can quickly learn that community compliance is key to quarantine success.

Quarantine Fatigue: The Human Cost

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Gunnison's battle with the Spanish Flu in 1918 was looked at closely by Coloradans in 2019 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The town's determination in 1918 was up against time, public pressure, and human nature. We learned that vigilance and long-term planning are key factors that can help us with public health strategies in the modern era.