As discussed in last week’s Museum Notes, the 1918 influenza pandemic ran from spring 1918 to spring 1919. We know that the 1918 virus affected Canadian, but we do not have many firsthand accounts. None of the biographies, recollections, personal papers, or newspapers in the museum’s collection document the pandemic while it was happening. Furthermore, there are no known copies of The Canadian Record from 1918 and only June-December of 1919. Oh, how I wish we had those newspapers! However, we do have a few primary sources upon which to know how Hemphill County was affected during the pandemic.

Early voting is underway in both Canadian and Higgins for the special May 2 election to consolidate the two school districts and will continue through next Tuesday, April 28.

On Tuesday, April 21, the Senate approved a total of about $484 billion in additional federal funding for coronavirus relief. The new bill includes $310 billion designated for small businesses. The additional funding will serve as part of the previously-exhausted Paycheck Protection Program, which was initially created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed on March 27. The program ran out of money on April 16.

MUSEUM HAPPENINGS