Butte and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

A historian recounts how influenza brought decimation and struggle to the Treasure State’s most prosperous city.

In 1918, Butte, Montana, was an incomparable city. But by the end of the year, it would be forever changed by a deadly pandemic. The Spanish flu swept across the country, killing some 675,000 Americans before year’s end. Some of the country’s highest mortality rates occurred in its cities—including Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, and Butte. In less than six months, the virus killed almost two percent of Butte’s residents and overwhelmed public health systems.

In this volume, author Janelle Olberding recounts the emotional struggle of the men and women who fought against, suffered from, and succumbed to influenza on the “Richest Hill on Earth.” It is a gripping tale of experimental treatments, civil unrest, death, and human resilience.