Elmer King grew up in Missouri, and moved to Red Lodge in 1912. King homesteaded and made a living as a trapper when he first arrived in Montana. During the war years, he worked as a game warden, and witnessed the catastrophic effects drought and the Spanish Flu had on Red Lodge’s residents. Listen below to hear King’s wartime memories, including:

• His recollections of anti-German sentiment during the war (Tell ‘Em Right to Their Faces and Make ‘Em Like It)
• Pneumonia outbreaks among flu patients in hospitals (Pneumonia Outbreak at Flu Hospitals)
• The economic troubles homesteaders encountered during the drought (When The Grasshoppers Got Here and Tough Luck Will Break You)

Click here for transcripts of the clips below.

Elmer King, Interview by Julie Foster, September 2, 1982, Columbus, MT, for the Montanans at Work Oral History Project, OH 368, Montana Historical Society Archives. 1 audio tape (50 minutes) and summary.

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