Destruction of E. H. Sargent’s Residence by Fire, 1880

SARGENT, BERRY

Posted By: Terry Sargent (email)
Date: 3/21/2011 at 18:10:03

HOUSE BURNED
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Destruction of E. H. Sargent’s Residence by Fire
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Last Thursday morning [May 6th] about seven o’clock the brick residence of Emery Sargent, two miles south-west of this place took fire, it is supposed from a defective chimney, and before the flames could be stayed the building was in ruins. The fire caught in the upper portion of the building. Mrs. Sargent was cleaning house and had removed the greater part of the furniture from below into the upper story and when the fire was discovered, it was so far advanced that nothing could be saved from the chambers. Neighbors flocked to the assistance of Mr. Sargent and succeeded in removing a portion of the furniture and other articles below, though quite a number of articles took fire after their removal from the building, and were consumed. All the clothing of the family with the exception of what they wore was destroyed with the larger portion of the household goods. Mr. Sargent informs us that the report of a large sum of money being consumed is untrue, as only between $5 and $10 in money furnished food for the flames. The loss will probably foot up to at least $1000.00 which is partially covered by insurance. This loss will fall heavily upon Mr. Sargent who can ill afford it. He will immediately begin the erection of a temporary residence.
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-Mr. Berry, adjustor for the Farmers Insurance Company of Cedar Rapids, was in town yesterday [May 11th] adjusting the loss occasioned by the burning of E. H. Sargent’s house.
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-The insurance company estimated E. H. Sargent’s loss on his building at $660 but he has not yet received Uncle Sam’s promise to pay for that amount, as we were misinformed some time since.
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Sources:
~The”House Burned” and blurb about the adjustor’s visit to the farm
were published in The Strawberry Point Press Strawberry Point, Clayton County, IA on Wednesday, May 12th, 1880 [Vol. 7 No.10]
~The update on E.H. Sargent’s insurance claim was published in The Strawberry Point Press Strawberry Point, Clayton County, IA on Wednesday, June 2, 1880 [Vol. 7 No.3]