Madison County in the Fall of 1918

When people say they miss “the good old days” they are surely not speaking of life a cen­tury ago in Madison County. The last months of 1918 were a terrible time for area residents and, whether rich or poor, no one was exempt. That au­tumn, saw the most deadly fighting of WW I, but it also witnessed the end of the war. It was a time when the influenza epidemic was at its worst among Madison County residents. The war and the in­fluenza epidemic changed daily life for everyone. Church services, schools, busi­nesses and holidays were all put on a new schedule and food was strictly rationed to provide for our soldiers. Every as­pect of civilian life was affected by the war.