**************************************************************************** File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format without the written consent of the author at http://fulton.ilgenweb.net. **************************************************************************** Source: The Ipava Tribune, November 4, 1916 **************************************************************************** Ipava Visited By A $30,000 Fire The Ipava Tribune, November 4, 1916 Seven Fine Brick Business Buildings Destroyed by Flames Causing a $30,000 Damage Fire Started in the Hunt Department Store Within Two Hours Seven Firms Were Out of Business The above headlines tell the story of one of Ipava’s most severe disasters. A reprint of the main article follows: The people of Ipava were caned upon at an early hour last Sunday morning to witness another disastrous fire which destroyed the seven brick business rooms on the north side of the square together with the Opera House, Masonic Hall and the rooms over the “Department’ store and Archie Shaws’ barber shop. About 5:30 o’clock, fire was discovered in the “Hunt Department Store” and the fire alarm was sounded which brought out nearly every person in the town and within a few minutes after word had been sent over the phone lines, the farmers began to arrive in cars carrying their milk buckets and cans to help tight the fire. The fire department soon had the hose cart on the ground and attached to the nearby hydrants, but the water in the standpipe was too low to force the water thru the hose, and the cart was pulled into the park. The fire had been smouldering probably for several hours, and had reached a point that when the doors were forced, the entire room was soon in a solid flame and then the explosion of heated gases burst out the front and rear windows, the black smoke shot out half a hundred feet. The flames soon caught the wooden awnings which burned from both sides like paper and soon the window frames along the entire front of the seven buildings were in flames and within two hours from the time the alarm was given, the seven large buildings were entirely consumed. A call was made to the Canton Fire Department for help, and they responded with their chemical fire extinguishers, but by the time they arrived the fire had done its work. Several hundred men worked with buckets to save nearby buildings in which they were successful. The buildings destroyed were as follows: C. S. Randolph’s two business rooms, one occupied by the Carter Drug Store and the other by J.E. Trickey’s hardware. Mr. Randolph carried $1300 on the two buildings. 0. E. Carter’s stock and fixtures of drugs was valued at about $3,500 and he carried $1500 insurance. The K. of F. Opera House was above these two rooms and was insured for $1250, while the Masons hail and contents were a total loss, no insurance being carried at the time. J.E. Trickey’s hardware stock valued at from $5,000 to $6,000 was a total loss with only $2,000 insurance. Next comes the famous Ipava “Department” store, owned by Mrs. CT. Hunt and J. D. Clayton of Canton, with a stock of goods which they claimed was valued at $10,000 and on which they carried $9,500 insurance among the different agents of Ipava. The fire originated in this store by some cause not yet fully determined between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The proprietor of this store was seen by different parties leave the store after one o’clock. It is said they made several trips from the store to the depot after closing hours until train time and they claim that everything was all right when they left the store. Parties who first appeared found evidence of a beer party at the rear where several bottles of beer was found unopened and shoes scattered around, but the door and windows were closed. The front blinds were drawn that night while three parties----two men and one woman were seen in there about one o’clock. Later in the night, one woman said she saw a light which had been left burning. The regular and special policemen for that night were up until after all trains had passed thru town and there were no strangers got off or were seen in the town. The Sheriff and State’s Attorney were here early Sunday to learn what they could as to the origin of the fire. The Department Store occupied the room owned by B. 8.E. Fleming and Mrs. Etta Trickey who at the time carried no insurance. Also the small two story building occupied by the Shaw barber shop carried no insurance. The John Wright restaurant occupied the David Sisters building. Mr. Wright carried $400 insurance which will not likely cover his loss, while the building was insured for $800. The last building to burn was Fred Lovell’s barber shop and pool hall. He carried $1000 on the building and $500 on the contents, but the contents were removed. Several buildings at the rear of J.E. Trickey’s store also were consumed along with John Stines barn. Nate Endres lost two tons of hay which he had in the mow. A hard fight was made to save the dozen or more large residences and the F. M. church north of the fire. By moving all out buildings between the Stines barn and residences, they were saved by soaking them with water and using salt. Another hard fight was to save the Large two story frame building west of the Drug Store and the old livery stable. It looked at one time when the opera house was burning at its best it seemed impossible to save them but by standing on the building and throwing water, they were saved. The Owen’s store building which stood about 30 feet to the east of the Lovell building was saved by bard and hot work. Dr. Doss has his dental parlor upstairs, had everything removed to the street. The wooden shed at the rear of the Owen’s store was torn down and carried away,- leaving only the brick building. Word soon reached other towns that Ipava was burning up -and by nine o’clock the streets were lined with cars from miles around besides many farmers who came in rigs. During the day the crowd was estimated at 6,000 to 7,000 people and 1000 to 1200 automobiles visited the town. The only restaurant in town did a big business and the butcher shops were about cleaned out. All of those burned out have found new locations to open. J. E. Trickey will open his hardware business in the old Anderson stand now owned by Cliff Hinds. O. E. Carter will open his drug store in the S. L. Marshall room just east of the post office. Also Fred Lovell will resume his barber and pool business in the Weese skating rink building in the same block. John Wright will open his restaurant in the P. H. Cooper room east of the Wilson grocery. Archie Shaw saved part of his barber shop outfit and has moved it into the little room west of Wilson’s store. C. S. Randolph and wife returned home Monday night from their California trip and at this time he does not know what they will do about rebuilding their two rooms. Fred Lovell expects to rebuild as soon as he gets his insurance and may possibly cover two lots. Mr. Trickey says he will not build until next spring. B.E. Fleming and the Mrs. Gougler buildings will not likely be rebuilt this fall. O.W. Stubblefield said his loss would reach about $100 in the burning of telephone poles and a cable and other wires. He managed to secure all the phones From the business houses. Monday, the Deputy State Fire Marshal and several insurance adjustors were here. The former to seek all evidence he could as to the cause for a disastrous fire and we learn that a mass of circumstantial evidence was freely given him which was sufficient for him to cause a thorough investigation. This is no surprise to our readers here at home as we doubt if there ever was a fire where almost the entire community was as much one sided as to the origin of the fire as this one—yet there may be no evidence to legally lay the blame on any one. The State Fire Marshal has gone over the drayman’s books and the express books and found many boxes of merchandise shipped from the Ipava Department Store to parties at Canton and St. David within the past few weeks. When the fire was at its worst, several homes on the back street were cleared of all contents and carried to safety, which has caused the housewives to go thru housecleaning process the second time this fall. The fire couldn’t have visited our peaceful little village at a worst time, while we are without water to fight with. A few weeks ago before the deep well repairing began, which caused the water supply to fail, this fire could have been easily controlled and kept with the one building. While there are strong assertions floating around, it does not seem possible that any person or persons who possess human hearts could have the nerve to cause such a serious injury to their fellowmen and the destruction of property which has caused years of hard toil to build. We are unable to fix a penalty severe enough. The next morning after the fire, H. D. Owens put men to work erecting a new salt house at the rear of his store connecting with the city hail. It will be sided and roofed with galvanized iron and mode as near fire proof as possible. Twenty—five years ago last April this same block (at that time they were wooden buildings) was destroyed by fire which occurred on Friday, so we are told.” A second account of the fire provides the following information: “The first man to discover the fire was William Lee who declared that he heard an explosion and low roar of the flames in the store half a block away at fifteen minutes to six. He at once assured himself that he was not mistaken, then he gave voice to the alarm that brought scores into the Street from nearby houses and barns. O. W. Stubblefield, Manager of the Telephone Company, together with Grover Carter of the Carter Drug Store, at once were convinced that the fire was beyond Ipava’s power to control, and the former telephoned the Canton fire department for aid. Dr. C.D. Snively, whose office is in the first building west of the burned block, telephoned to Lewistown for aid. With the city’s water supply cut off and a high south wind blowing, the entire business section was menaced for hours, and only the fact that the wind was not in the right direction and the splendid efforts put forth by the fire fighters saved the town from more disastrous loss. Three safes belonging to various businesses remained intact although they looked like cubes of grey stone after the fire. The safe in the Carter Drug Store was roiled out through smoke and heat to a place not ten feet from the burning building, where it had to be abandoned because of the awful heat. The safe in the hardware store had much the same experience and looks about the same. The safe in the Masonic quarters on the second floor tumbled through a window, turned over twice but landed clear of the debris at the edge of the sidewalk without knobs, wheels or paint, but unopened. All three may have to be cracked to recover the valuables. When the excitement of’ the first hour of discovery of the fire was at its greatest, an added bit came in the explosion of a one-hundred gallon tank of gasoline standing before the community and Old South Fulton. H. B. Kost, Pres. F. A. Cooper, Sec. In the Newsy Notes of the Summum Column—“Quite a number from here went to Ipava Sunday to view the remains of the big fire they had that morning.” From Leeseburg: “Some 150 autos pulled over these roads to and from the Ipava fire Sunday. How many got out to the Ipava fire from the country without their breakfast Sunday morning?” Presbyterian Church News: “The sermon subject for next Sunday morning will be, “Building the Wall”. Because of the fire last Sunday morning, the sermon on “Life’s Decision”, or Marriage, was postponed until next Sunday evening.” Phil Snedeker recalls his Dad (Clint) telling him that he drove a buggy up from Astoria that Sunday morning, parked on the square to view the smoldering debris, then decided to race another young man back home, barely holding to his seat over the rough roads. So the fire meant different things to different people. Today, if one will stand at the north edge of the park and look at the brick in the buildings along the north side of Rt. 136, it is obvious that the brick in the old Owen s Store (the east building) is different from all the rest, a reminder that it was the only building in the block to survive the fire that Sunday morning, October 31, 1915, the morning of Halloween. The brick in the Owen’s Store resembles the brick in the Presbyterian Church, Saucy O’Malley’s house, and others that were fired in the old John R. Cain brickyard, east of the cemetery. The Town Rebuilds It is important to keep in perspective the historical setting of local actions and events. While the fire was burning in Ipava, Europe was fighting a world war that would eventually call to service those young men fighting the fire. lpava rebuilt during war time and by 1917 had the following spread of business establishments: Adkison, W.E. Manufacturers Ice Cream Burgard’s garage Atherton, A. R Bakery On Broadway, north of Mary Weaver Atwater, E. Oil and vulcanizing Beers, Leroy Dry Goods and Shoes vacant lot west of post office Braden Bros. Implements Butler, Wm Billiards and Barbershop west of Mayall's Grocer Carter, O. E. Drugs Cleavin, A. V. Groceries H. D. Owen's store Clemens, Lee Livestock Hoopes, John A. Feed Mill north of quonset Imber, John A. Shoemaker Ipava Tap Keller & McLaren Blacksmith east of square Ladd, C. M. Plumber Ladd, J. K. Jewelry west of Easley's station Lindsey, C. M. Poultry brick bldg. southwest of East Park Lindsey, Mrs. K Hotel John Burgard's Soft Water Plant Lohr, A. W. Blacksmith west of his house Lovell, F. J. Billiards east side of square McCune, J. H. Lumber & Grain present lumberyard McLaren, F. M. Harness north of Christian Church McQueen, Albert Junk west of John Woods Morrison, J. A. Musical Instruments north of H. D. Owens Nelson, C. M. Publisher & Printer Owens, H. D. Groceries corner building Roth, S. E. Grocery & Market next to Blair's Stubblefield, O. W. Telephone Exchange Clay Hut Trickey, J. E. Hardware & Stoves Burgard Show Room Weese, E. J. Garage east side of square Wilson, W. P. Grocery & Market Mayall's store Wood, Oliver and Son Furniture, Undertaker, Wallpaper Easley's garage Wright, John Restaurant May 30. 1917, the President of the town board, Sherman I. Marshall succumbed to a heart attack and died at the age of 54. He had served the town for ten turbulent years as well as in many county offices. At his death he was chairman of the Illinois—Michigan Canal Commission whose members served as honorary pallbearers. Mr. Marshall was a graduate from the University of Illinois and entered the banking business as a bookkeeper in the Ayers Bank of Jacksonville. His funeral was one of the largest held in Ipava. During his administration of the town’s affairs, the town was divorced from depending upon the Woolen Mill for electricity and water. It was unfortunate that a fire had to occur at the very time that the town was on the verge of achieving an ample supply of water for years to come. The fire had occurred on Oct. 31, 1915, the following report was made to the town board. "The new deep well was 1324 feet deep and after testing the well by pumping at a rate of 100 gallons per minute for 24 hours, the water stood 83 feet from the surface." Orlie Carter moved that Mr. Smith be released from his contract. Motion carried.