On Oct. 18, 1918, the Kentucky Board of Health ordered all saloons and soft drink stands to operate under restricted hours to help stem the tide of influenza.  By October 22, the Louisville newspapers were happily reporting that influenza’s high mark had been reached on two weeks earlier, and that the number of new cases was on the steady decline.

The problem was not so much with Louisville as it was with the surrounding Jefferson County, which was still in the midst of a serious epidemic. Until the situation in Jefferson County improved, the bans would remain in place.

By the end of the month, nurses made a staggering 2,589 calls, routinely working seven days a week to ensure that all who needed it received care. Even Acting Health Officer Norment made use of volunteer transportation. He and his assistants drove house-to-house one Saturday, distributing pamphlets on influenza.