Forsyth County Public Health and Urban Workers

Simone Caron, Wake Forest University

The introduction into what was then Winston, N.C., of the tobacco business by Richard Joshua Reynolds in 1874 led to a rapid growth rural to urban migration to take advantage of new employment opportunities. The city grew from a population of 443 in 1870 to 17,167 by 1910. This urban growth happened too quickly for the infrastructure to handle. Cramped and overcrowded housing, lack of access to clean water, poor nutrition, and low-pay led to significant health issues among tobacco and other workers in the city. Forsyth County officials responded to this crisis by creating the Forsyth County Public Health Department (FCPHD) in 1913. The health department’s priorities were to stop the spread of communicable disease, to increase sanitation and access to clean water, and to promote and protect the general health of city residents. This paper examines the records of the FCPHD from its creation in 1913 through the end of World War II, and analyzes the efficacy of public health efforts in bettering the conditions of urban workers in Winston Salem.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 212. Impact of Public Health Measures in the Twentieth Century