Marion's Fires of 1912 and 1913

 

During the history of Marion's existence it seems to have had it's fair share of devastating fires. The people have always worked together and built their town back.

Let's travel back to the years of 1912 and 1913 and read about some of these fires. From these articles we can learn of the people and their businesses that were a vital part of our town during that time. From the archives of The Crittenden Press comes the history.

November 28, 1912 – Big Fire Sweeps Several Buildings.

Last Friday night, Nov. 22^nd, just before midnight, the fire alarm whistle called the fire fighters from the downy beds of ease, to fight a stubborn blaze, which had broken out in the Pierce produce brick building on North Main Street.

The building was occupied by C. R. Newcom, Grocery and Produce dealer on the ground floor and Valentine Threlkeld's colored barbershop up stairs, also the colored Lodge and sleeping rooms.

Opinions differ as to where the fire started; some say it originated up stairs, others downstairs.

The produce building was soon a mass of flames and quickly gutted and the flames leaped to the large frame stable owned by Pierce & Son and occupied by Eskew Bros. and extended the entire length of the block on the south and to John B. Grissom's residence on the north, both of which were quickly devoured.

The fire then seized for its prey McConnell's frame building on the south and Seldon Hughes' house on the north occupied by S. S. Woodson and both were soon reduced to ashes.

The grocery stock of C. R. Newcom and in fact all the contents of the brick produce house were lost, but all the live stock and harness, and most of the feed and vehicles in the stable were saved.

The people turned out well and helped the poor suffers save their household goods, and but little furniture was lost.

A telephone pole which burned down came near striking City Marshal Loyd and had it done so he would have been instantly killed. He dodged sufficiently to miss the pole but the cross arm hit his leg, almost breaking the bone and he was scratched considerably by the wires. He was assisted to any empty buggy standing near and two townsmen grasped the shafts and drew him to hi home where he has since been confined to his bed and where his physicians say he must remain for ten days longer.

Thomas McConnell, the merchant, received a severe cut over his eye and there were several others who narrowly escaped injury. Fred Hughes, colored, came near being roasted alive in his bed.

Before the carnival of the fire was checked the money loss was heavy; Pierce & Son, stable, J. P. Pierce, produce house, J. B. Grissom, residence, Seldon Hughes, residence, W. T. McConnell store room, C. R. Newcom, loss of stock and fixtures.  (on East Bellville St.,  where Wheeler's parking lot is now)

The Marion Electric Light & Ice Co., suffered the loss of much service wire, several poles and other items. As soon as the wires burned into, the plant was closed down until the section involved could be cut out, after which service was resumed in all other parts of the city. Repairs were rushed and completed in 12 hours from the time the first fire alarm sounded. Thus restoring service for the section damaged in time for lights that afternoon.

The Marion Home Telephone Exchange suffered a much more severe loss from the fires. Nearly 200 feet of cable through which the subscribers in the northwest part of town are served, burned down. When the messenger wire carrying the cable, burned in two, it fell for several hundred yards, carrying several poles with it.

The total cost to the company will be nearly $300.00 and had not Supt. Obenchain taken matters in charge so promptly and managed them so systematically, the delay would have been much longer and inconvenience to patrons much greater.  (not sure the location of all these buildings in this fire)

On March 26, 1913 Marion was again visited by fire. The buildings of the New Marion Hotel and the Farmers Bank being the seat of the conflagration. The fire originated for some unknown cause in a rear room of the upper story of the hotel, which was unoccupied, having been vacated a few days before.

The fire alarm was given at 11:45 p.m. and every possible effort was made to stop the flames, but the "tin bucket brigade" were unable to control the flames and the building was burned to the ground.

Beside the hotel and the bank, the building contained the office of Dr. A. J. Driskill, who had two rooms on the first floor; the office of C. V. Oakley, insurance, on second floor; the office of Dr. O. S. Young, dentist, on the second floor.

R. F. Door, owner of the New Marion Hotel, estimates his loss at $3,500.

Farmers Bank, unofficial estimate of loss, $3,000, covered by insurance. The money, books, etc., deposited in the bank's vault was found after the fire to be undamaged. They set up immediately temporary headquarters at the office of James & James, where E. J. Hayward, O.S. Denny and W. E. Carnahan are transacting business in the same satisfactory way.

By a coincidence the fire of Wednesday night occurred on the eighth anniversary of the great fire which visited the city on March 28, 1905.

It was by only the hardest work that the buildings across the street were kept from igniting and a repetition of the disastrous conflagration of eight years ago prevented.

The plate-glass fronts of the stores of Yandell-Gugenheim Co., T. H. Cochran & Co., Yates Bros,. and J. H. Orme were broken by the heat. (just across the street from Farmer's Bank;, Frazer's law office, Botanicals, and Roy and Tim's Barber shop)

As soon as plans and contracts can be had, the burned out businesses expect to rebuilt on the same site, and will erect a more commodious building than the old ones.

Stills and White Lightening

In the early and mid 1920's many of the top headline stories in the local paper were about the illegal making of moonshine or the selling of "white mule."

Our hills and hollows of Crittenden County must have had their share of hidden stills and the dark of night making and selling of white lightening.

Moon shinning has deep roots in American history. It was a way of life to support their families; it was their drink, medicine and currency.

Did you ever think where it got the name moonshine; it was because the men did most of the work at night, by the light of the moon. The white lightening was well liked for it's high alcohol content and tax-free prices. As early as 1894 Congress had increased the whiskey tax to $1.10 per gallon, a stiff tax. While the increase was intended to up the government's take in revenue, it ended up creating a boom in untaxed liquor. Whether or not this had any effect on Crittenden County's moonshine business, or it was just made for the pure excitement of making the white lightening, it is still interesting to read about this time in our history.

From the archives of The Crittenden Press we can read of this illegal activity that took place in our area, it's a colorful part of our past history that many of us might not really know about, and there are probably some that might remember the time when this activity of just a part of life.

In 1921 Kentucky Gov. Edwin P. Morrow addressed the Association of Circuit Judges and Commonwealth Attorneys, stating that moonshining and bootlegging were rampant in Kentucky, and the violations of the liquor laws were such as to challenge all the forces of law and order.

Illicit manufacture and sale of liquor has grown to an appalling extent, he said, and the use of liquor, is increasing alarmingly.

There is today, a challenge being thrown out to the forces of law and order in Kentucky. I ask the Circuit Judges of Kentucky to meet this challenge and I will help in as much as I can. He ask the judges and commonwealth attorneys, "Which shall be supreme in this state the law or the blind tiger?" So Crittenden was hard pressed to fight the blind tigers.

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Here are some of the interesting articles that were in The Crittenden Press about stills found in all areas of our county.

In early 1921 the press reports that Crittenden County has acquired the distinction of having a "real" moonshine still.

Some of the boys of Tolu were hunting a few days ago and found a fully equipped still in the woods on the farm of Mr. John L. Franklin. Some one had taken, without Mr. Franklin's knowledge or consent, a tank belonging to him and used it in building the still, which has a sixteen-gallon capacity.

Mr. Franklin immediately notified the United States revenue authorities of his find, and to preserve the still moved it into his cellar, where it will be safely kept until an investigation has been made.  The tank was about one-half full of meal, which evidenced the fact that it had been tested and used.

In November of 1922 on suspicion derived from previous information Sheriff J. T. Wright, Deputy P. R. Taylor and former County Attorney John A. Moore went Saturday to a home located two miles from Piney Fork Church, with a warrant to search the premises. Upon arriving there the man of the house readily gave his permission to have his premises searched.

In a barn near the house the officers discovered a still covered with sorghum fodder, which they took possession of and brought to the courthouse in Marion.

The owner of the farm denied all knowledge of the still being on his premises. He said that it was evidently brought there by some one unknown to him on the night before while he was away from home fox hunting.

The still is of about 15-gallon capacity, is in good condition and seems to have been recently used. It is of copper throughout. The still is now at the courthouse and many visitors have called to see it.

Another still found by J. U. G. Claghorn. While he was out squirrel hunting Monday, he stopped at a supposedly unoccupied cabin on the John Nation farm, near Fords Ferry. Looking thru a window he discovered a family in the cabin and a man working around a still.

Returning to town he reported what he saw to the authorities, and with a warrant Deputy Sheriff P. R. Taylor went to the cabin, took charge of the still and arrested the man under a warrant charging him with having in his possession an illicit still.

The man gave his name and stated that he came from Illinois. He will be placed in jail to await the action of the grand jury at the next term of Circuit Court. The captured still is of copper and of about ten gallons capacity.

In November 1923 officials captured a moonshine still near Mexico. A big haul was made Friday morning when Deputy Sheriff P. E. Taylor, Jailer J. C. Spees and County Judge E. Jeffrey Travis, with a search warrant, went to a home a few miles southeast of Mexico, this county, and after searching the premises, located a moonshine still in a back room of the residence.

Besides the still, which was of about 40-gallon capacity and the best equipped yet found in this county, the officials also found in the room seven barrels of mash and eight gallons of white mule whisky, all of which they confiscated except a small amount of the whisky which, together with the still, they brought here and turned it over to the authorities.

Out in the Bells Mines area Constable Bob Adams captured a large moonshine still, together with two gallons of "white mule" which was brought to Marion and delivered to the County authorities.

The parties who were operating the still were unknown and escaped after a running fight in which several shorts were exchanged, one of which passed through the Constable's hat.

The still was located in what is known as Heath's Hollow, near Bells Mines and Constable Adamson was assisted in its capture by his deputy, Charlie Bob Sanders.

The constable and deputy went near where the still was located before daylight in order that they might find out who was operating it and at the break of day a sentinel on the opposite hill saw them and fired two shorts, then it was the constable and his assistant made a dash for the still and the operators of the still opened fire as they ran off. There were about fifteen or twenty shorts exchanged between the officers and distillers as they ran away.

When Adamson and his assistant arrived the still was in full operation. They found three gallons of moonshine and brought two gallons to town as stated, the other gallon container was broken and the contents lost. The still is said to have been well equipped for the business.

W. H. Hardesty, justice of the peace in the Tolu district, raided and found on a farm near Tolu a still that had been in recent operation. The still was of forty gallon capacity and with it was found 350 gallons of mash.

In the Cookseyville area, Sheriff Taylor raided the King farm and discovered on gallon of whiskey and one hundred gallons of mash. The discovery was made in the woods on the back of the farm and the mash and whiskey was covered with a quantity of cedar brush. No arrests were made because it wasn't known who had made the still at the time.

Most times the stills were sit up on someone else's property other than the one that actually made the whiskey. Easier not to be associated with the crime when the stills were located.