On Dec. 30, 1918, Kansas City schools reopened as the influenza epidemic waned. The New Year came and residents celebrated as best they could.

Kansas City had experienced a long and hard influenza epidemic. From its start in late-September 1918 through early-spring 1919, over 11,000 cases and over 2,300 deaths occurred as a result of the epidemic. As a result, Kansas City experienced an excess death rate of 580 per 100,000 people, placing it among one of the harder-hit cities in the U.S.