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Transcribed
by
Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial,
FIRES
Leo McCoy saw smoke through a crack in the
floor and cried “Look, Miss Abbey, the school house
is on fire!” She
said quietly, “Oh, no, it is only kindling burning
but we will get out of here as quick as we can.”
On Feb 14, 1900, the fire alarm at 10 o’clock
drew people to the school grounds in large numbers. Smoke was
issuing from the building in dense volumes and
heroic efforts were being made to quench the flames. The
weather was bitter cold and one’s efforts were
hampered to a great extent by that fact, but it was
soon seen that all efforts with the facilities at
command were unavailing. The
children and teacher were all safely on the outside
and a great many pupils saved their books and
belongings while others failed to secure theirs. The pupils
in one of the primary rooms were quietly told to
secure their books and march out, the teacher
following with the wraps, hoods, caps, etc.
It took but a few minutes to empty the
building, and a good many of the personal belongings
of the pupils were saved by others and taken to
various places in the vicinity. The fire
lasted for a couple of hours, when part of the west
wall of the front, fell with a crash and the south
wall followed shortly after.
The loss was complete. The
furniture, piano, organs, gymnasium and magnificent
general and reference library – all were destroyed. The origin
of the fire is said to have been seen from one of
the pipes leading from the furnace which carried the
hot air for heating the rooms. The blaze
was discovered by the janitor, A. M. Duncan, who
tried heroically to put it out before it gained
headway. Help
was called in from among the high school boys before
the alarm was given, but it was soon found to be
beyond control and the word was given to empty the
building and the fire alarm sounded.
The old part of the building was three
stories high and was erected in 1876 and in 1894 or
5 a large two story addition was added, the building
costing the district about $15,000.
Insurance to the amount of $7,500 is carried. $3,500 in
the National of Hartford, Conn. and $4,000 in the
North British of Edinbury, Scotland. This will
go a good way in putting up a new building and
furnishing it with all the modern apparatus for
conducting a first class school.
The schools were held the remainder of the
term, the first term of the next year in the various
churches and the opera house, the new building not
being completed until Jan. 1, 1901.
Many will remember the day of the fire and
the gloom cast over the whole district, but with the
everlasting energy and “get there” so characteristic
of our people, the new building was soon under
construction and today we have one of the finest
graded schools in southern Iowa and almost paid for
and we doubt if anyone has noticed the extra tax. So it will
be with our light plant eleven years hence or any
like improvement.
Have you ever noticed what ever the people of
Allerton go after they bring home to “keep”. Let’s keep
going. “West
side
of business block No. 26 Destroyed by Fire” Mar.
15,
1927
Fire of unknown origin discovered in the
Shelton Grocery at 6 a.m. spread rapidly and almost
half of the west side of Main Street was destroyed.
The fire was discovered by E. K. Rodgers who
had just started home to breakfast after doing the
early morning work at the bakery. He noticed
smoke coming out of the front of the building, ran
to the Rumph Cafe and he and Mr. Rumph and Robert
Eastburn, who were eating breakfast, gave the alarm,
first awakening J. C. Githens, who immediately got
the fire wagon to the scene.
The fire had gained such headway that the
chemical wagon could do no good.
The fire spread rapidly, first to the J.A.
Galford store, very little stock was saved. The fire
spread rapidly north into Parsons Hardware, Githens
Rado and Jewelry Shop, W. L. Dougherty store,
Farmers National Bank.
A good fire wall saved the 2 story brick
Morrison building on the south.
The Main Street room of the Bank building was
occupied by Verda Hat Shoppe, Dr. Parker, M. D. had
the rear of the buildings. Dr. Fred
Bracewell, dentist, occupied the upstairs.
The upstairs of the Parsons building was
occupied by Jaques Beauty Shop and Mr. Jacques
Insurance, the Legion rooms and Dr. Biser,
Chiropractor.
It looked for a while like the fire might go
north across the street to the Keller Hotel. Allerton’s
call for the Corydon fire department was responded
to quickly, and their chemical wagon was on the
sidewalk in front of the hotel in readiness should
the flames cross the street.
The fire had a good chance of going south
past and including the Morrison building which is
occupied by Clyde Caldwell’s Barber Shop. The next
building, I.O.O.F. Lodge building, occupied below by
W. G. Robinson store. During
the fire, sparks flew north and set fire to the
Goughnour building and the lumber yard. These
fires were quickly put out. Ladders
and buckets were in readiness at the John Ames and
Ben Freland homes.
The building occupied by Githens store was
owned by John Ferrell, the Galford building owned by
Miss Winifred Conklin, buildings occupied by Shelton
and Parsons were owned by D. C. Reck, the Dougherty
building was owned by the Dougherty family and the
Bank building was recently purchased by J. W.
Whitley.
All carried insurance but at the very lowest
estimate, more than $100,000.00 damage was done.
There is no doubt that all the people who
were burned out will start in business again.
W. L. Dougherty will move into the community
building with F. E. Pickerell as soon as insurance
adjustments are made and a new stock can be bought. The others
will no doubt all open up again as soon as buildings
can be found.
In 1914, James Southard’s restaurant, Tom
Shriver’s grocery store and a tailor shop burned,
caused from an explosion of a gasoline percolator.
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