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In a story in the Dec. 22, 1960, Mansfield News Mirror, retired pharmacist, J. B. Chorn, 76, recalled the flu epidemic of 1919 in Mansfield.
Chorn was born in Mansfield and attended the Mansfield Academy before getting his pharmacist certificate at Southwestern School of Medicine in Dallas in November 1905.
He was employed as an assistant cashier at Mansfield’s First National Bank when the two city pharmacists came down with the flu (J.N. Board and N.B Ward). Chorn was asked to fill prescriptions.
At one time, over 200 people were sick, including some local doctors, said Chorn. The treatment at the time was creosote carbonate and Dobers Powders, both scarce. During the epidemic, Chorn said the price for both soared to $60 per pound.
After the epidemic, Chorn bought Board’s drugstore and advertised every week in the News-Mirror for 33 years.
To learn more about Mansfield history, check out the Mansfield Historical Museum, 102 N. Main St., open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. For more info, call 817-473-4250, email museum@mansfieldtexas.gov or go to mansfieldhistory.org.
Photo courtesy of the Mansfield Historical Society.
Mansfield, Texas, is a booming city, nestled between Fort Worth and Dallas, but with a personality all its own. The city’s 76,247 citizens enjoy an award-winning school district, vibrant economy, historic downtown, prize-winning park system and community focus spread across 37 square miles. The Mansfield Record is dedicated to reporting city and school news, community happenings, police and fire news, business, food and restaurants, parks and recreation, library, historical archives and special events. The city’s only online newspaper launched in September 2020 and will offer introductory advertising rates for the first three months at three different rates.
The Mansfield Record is the only local newspaper serving Mansfield, Texas. Established in 2020, the Mansfield Record is bringing the focus back where it should be.
