Culture
Seattle struggled with suicide in late stages of the 1918 flu
Here and beyond, reports of deaths by suicide indicate the mental health toll likely caused by the influenza pandemic.
Knute Berger
Knute “Mossback” Berger is an editor-at-large and host of "Mossback’s Northwest" at Cascade PBS. He writes about politics and regional heritage.
Latest work
Culture
Meet the Anthony Fauci of 1918 Washington
Dr. T.D. Tuttle was Washington's Health Commissioner during the 1918 flu. He wasn't always popular — even when he was right.
Culture
Shady landlords and bootleggers ruled Seattle's last pandemic
During the 1918 flu, bad actors ripped off renters, exploited dead sailors and drank illegal whiskey.
Opinion
Premature optimism in a pandemic can be deadly
Seattle leaders relaxed containment rules during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, fueling a second wave of infections.
Opinion
Before coronavirus: How Seattle handled the Spanish flu
Over a century ago, my grandmother nearly died from the pandemic. Her doctor wasn't so lucky.