WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Town Museum Curator Terry McDermott recently created a brief video discussing how Wilmington was affected by the Spanish Flu, and how that pandemic in 1918 has many parallels to today’s COVID-19 pandemic.
McDermott reviewed online archives of the Boston Globe (which she accessed for free after signing up for a Boston Public Library eCard — something every Wilmington resident can do!) and the Wilmington Annual Town Reports (which she accessed on the Wilmington Library’s website).
She found that back in 1918, Wilmington closed its schools for 3 weeks and library for 2 weeks upon the order of the state. The town reported 363 cases of influenza that year — the total was typically less than 10 cases.
McDermott welcomes residents to contact her with local history questions at htavern@wilmingtonma.gov while the Town Museum is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
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