Birds, Banquets, and the Battle Against the Spanish Flu

In a peculiar contrast to the somber mood that has gripped the nation this past autumn, Postmaster W.M. Mooney and his companions, A.V. Dumaine and Dr. R.L. Sexton, were out hunting wild turkeys in the mountains of Bath County, Virginia. Their success was evident in the four plump birds they proudly displayed for the cameras. But as the holiday season approached, the focus shifted from the great outdoors to the White House, where President and Mrs. Coolidge were set to enjoy a grand Thanksgiving feast at the Swannanoa Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. A 35-pound turkey, presented by the Chamber of Commerce, was to be the pièce de résistance of the evening. Little did the guests know, however, that a more sinister force was at work in the nation’s capital, as a mysterious influenza outbreak began to spread its dark wings over the motion picture colony in Hollywood, California. As the holiday spirit hung in the air, the usually vibrant community was eerily quiet, with 13 film actors and two directors confined to their beds, fighting for their lives. Among them was the talented film actress Marie Prevost, who was said to be ‘considerably improved’ after contracting the deadly disease. The situation in Hollywood was dire, with the influenza epidemic showing no signs of abating. But as the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief, the people of Bath County, Virginia, would likely never forget the tale of Postmaster Mooney’s wild turkey hunt, a fleeting moment of joy in the midst of a grim autumn.