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.