The City Burns: Harrison's Devastating Fire of 1917
The Harrison Searchlight, July 1983 - Reprinted from The Harrison Searchlight July 27, 1917
Little did our citizens think on Saturday morning that within a few hours our little city would be in ashes, all of our business houses destroyed, homes that meant years of labor, laid in ashes and our mills a hopeless mass of blackened ruins. We may never knhow the cause but most of our citizens think we know and the thought are not of the peaceful kind when we pause to reflect. What have our citizens done to cause this loss to fall upon us, and if it was purposely done, then who is safe among us? Will the law wait until the city is destroyed before it acts or will we be given the just protection that a citizen expects from the proper authorities?
The fire starting in the dry shed of the Grant Lumber Co. soon spread to the businesses of town and with the water pressure low it was soon beyond control.
The total loss will easily reach $500,000.00 and with this about one-half covered with insurance. It left us without any stock of groceries and with several of our citizens injured severely. The losses are as follows:
Little did our citizens think on Saturday morning that within a few hours our little city would be in ashes, all of our business houses destroyed, homes that meant years of labor, laid in ashes and our mills a hopeless mass of blackened ruins. We may never knhow the cause but most of our citizens think we know and the thought are not of the peaceful kind when we pause to reflect. What have our citizens done to cause this loss to fall upon us, and if it was purposely done, then who is safe among us? Will the law wait until the city is destroyed before it acts or will we be given the just protection that a citizen expects from the proper authorities?
The fire starting in the dry shed of the Grant Lumber Co. soon spread to the businesses of town and with the water pressure low it was soon beyond control.
The total loss will easily reach $500,000.00 and with this about one-half covered with insurance. It left us without any stock of groceries and with several of our citizens injured severely. The losses are as follows:
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Grant Lumber Co.
Harrison Shingle Co. dry kiln Harrison Mercantile Co. Harrison Drug Co. Dan Shanahan Harrison Meat Co. Cope's Confectionery Harrison Water Works office Morrow-Powell Mercantile Masonic Temple Harrison Cleaning Works Wheeler building Beaver Cafe Jensen Building Princess Theater McCain building Lamb's Blacksmith Shop Wheeler's Undertaking Methodist Church Baptist Church Catholic Church Presbyterian Church I.O.O.F. building Jensen's Furniture Store Croskie's Drug Co. Ed Harris Buildings Jones' Restaurant D. K. Smith buildings Interstate Utilities Co. John Antler E.C. Ribstein's Hardware W. S. Bridgeman Hardware Wilson Meat Co. Fuller's Pool room Chinn Brothers Paulsen's grocery A.W. Burleigh's building C.S. Manning's building R.M. Wark buildings Flatt's Barber Shop City Clerk's office Dunn's grocery Nogler's boarding house Davis Barber Shop Jack Nitkey's place Cathcart's harness shop |
$175,000
3,000 50,000 6,000 2,000 5,000 3,000 500 25,000 25,000 500 1,500 1,000 2,500 1,200 1,500 2,500 1,000 2,000 2,000 1,500 1,500 2,500 4,500 4,500 2,500 2,500 1,000 4,000 1,000 5,000 8,000 1,200 5,000 6,000 6,000 1,500 500 4,000 500 1,000 2,500 3,500 500 4,500 1,500 |
RESIDENCES
Harry Warren Dr. C.E. Landquist D.E. Heisner Beavers Cafe H.J. Kelly J.A. Corskie J.A. Pinkerton Wm. Honsowetz A.B. Carson Earl Wark E.L. Roe A.W. Burleigh B.P. Price J.M. Brown E.W. Wheeler E.C. Ribstein Dan Bishop A.A. Crane J.P. Maguire W.T. Powell F.H. Rilette G.H. Kimmel E.P. Harris |
Spokane, Wallace, Coeur d'Alene, Plummer, St. Maries and Kellogg responded immediately with supplies, bedding and tents for those who were left homeless. The supplies were a welcome sight to our citizens as men who had worked all day without food were glad to see these supplies coming into the city, knowing that without them they would go hungrey during the night. The fire equipment was partially destroyed and with the piling grounds of the Grant Lumber Co. burning it seemed possible that with a shift of the wind that the other portions of the town might be set afire at any time by flying brands.
On Monday evening at about 8 o'clock another fire broke out in the old school building and it may never know how it originated, but it was in such shape when discovered that it leads to the conclusion that it was set on fire. When discovered the entire building was in flame, and only the most strenuous work of the citizens saved the adjoining buildings from burning.
Our city has been placed under guard, and Fred Crane in charge of them has been doing excellent work, yet the cooperation of every citizen is needed to protect the city and our homes. Citizens, just what are you going to do about this menace? Without doubt our citizens who were in business here will rebuild, or at least the most of them will do so, and within a few days Harrison will again take a new start, for we are not discouraged nor disheartened. The telephone office has been reopened in hotel Harrison, Marler and Brass have reopened their meat shop in the I.O.O.F. house two doors below the bank, and some will open up business under canvas until they can rebuild, in Dr. Didier's hospital building the Harrison Drug Co. and Dr. C.D. Landquist the dentist, the Shingle Co's. office, and Jolliffe jeweler are located, Corskie's drug store is now in the building across the street west of the hotel, Dunn's grocery has opened up in the Burton building, the Harrison Mercantile Co., barber shops and phone company's office in hotel Harrison, the Table Supply in buildings on the north side of the Star lodging house, Antler the shoemaker is beside the Searchlight office and Cathcarts harness shop on the lot on the south side of W.B. Hagar's residence, Dan. Shanahan's tailor shop is next the meat market, Paulsen and grocery and Jensen the furniture man are in warehouses at the dock, Joe Lamb's blacksmith shop is at the shingle mill, and Grant Lumber Co. office on the water front.
Nearly all of the business houses will be rebuilt of some kind of fireproof material and this was general sentiment expressed at a meeting held in the YMCA building last Sunday afternoon.
The officials of the city have asked the State of $5,000 with which to clean up the burned area and to provide necessary care for the homeless and the banks have willingly agreed to advance the money to the State on deficiency warrants, A.A. Crane agreeing to advance any amount the Governor should deem necessary to meet the situation.
The O.W.R. and N. through Supt. Connolly, has advised the citizens of Harrison that an engine will be under steam and in readiness at Tekoa during the present trouble, and at a moments notice to come to Harrison in one hour's time with hose and fire fighting apparatus to assist in any way possible. The extra gang working in the Harrison yards as well as the regular section force helped in a very substantial way during the big fire Saturday and were also on hand Monday evening when the old school house burned, ready to offer services.
F.E. Marler will be among the first to rebuild and Corskie Bros. will also rebuild at once and within a few days we can expect to see a host of workmen starting the work all over the townsite.
All buildings should be up to the established grade and now is the time to prepare for the sewer system that should be installed.
Many believe that a system of registration should be in force in the city so that we might avoid having the city full of loafers at this time and at the same time furnish work to those desiring it.
The telephone company, under the supervision of Mr. Faulkner of Coeur d'Alene who is here all this week making the necessary changes with three or four men stringing wires and in a few days the phone patrons will be able to talk with each other over the phone. About 20 minutes after the fire the telephone was temporarily erected on top of a range setting in the street opposite the bank, where they were able to talk with the outside world, showing the quick services the telephone company had done an on emergency of this kind, and in 20 minutes after the alarm of fire the people here were talking to Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, Wallace and St. Maries. We are informed that the phone company has made a contract for a concrete building, taking a five year lease, and inside of 60 or 90 days, they will be comfortably located in their new quarters.
This Searchlight this week is not up to its standard as far as news is concerned, and we have been busy since the fire doing job printing and the upsetting of the town's business had depressed our mind so we could not get down to business; but our patrons will please overlook it for a week or two and we will try to get back in shape again as usual with the paper.
On Monday evening at about 8 o'clock another fire broke out in the old school building and it may never know how it originated, but it was in such shape when discovered that it leads to the conclusion that it was set on fire. When discovered the entire building was in flame, and only the most strenuous work of the citizens saved the adjoining buildings from burning.
Our city has been placed under guard, and Fred Crane in charge of them has been doing excellent work, yet the cooperation of every citizen is needed to protect the city and our homes. Citizens, just what are you going to do about this menace? Without doubt our citizens who were in business here will rebuild, or at least the most of them will do so, and within a few days Harrison will again take a new start, for we are not discouraged nor disheartened. The telephone office has been reopened in hotel Harrison, Marler and Brass have reopened their meat shop in the I.O.O.F. house two doors below the bank, and some will open up business under canvas until they can rebuild, in Dr. Didier's hospital building the Harrison Drug Co. and Dr. C.D. Landquist the dentist, the Shingle Co's. office, and Jolliffe jeweler are located, Corskie's drug store is now in the building across the street west of the hotel, Dunn's grocery has opened up in the Burton building, the Harrison Mercantile Co., barber shops and phone company's office in hotel Harrison, the Table Supply in buildings on the north side of the Star lodging house, Antler the shoemaker is beside the Searchlight office and Cathcarts harness shop on the lot on the south side of W.B. Hagar's residence, Dan. Shanahan's tailor shop is next the meat market, Paulsen and grocery and Jensen the furniture man are in warehouses at the dock, Joe Lamb's blacksmith shop is at the shingle mill, and Grant Lumber Co. office on the water front.
Nearly all of the business houses will be rebuilt of some kind of fireproof material and this was general sentiment expressed at a meeting held in the YMCA building last Sunday afternoon.
The officials of the city have asked the State of $5,000 with which to clean up the burned area and to provide necessary care for the homeless and the banks have willingly agreed to advance the money to the State on deficiency warrants, A.A. Crane agreeing to advance any amount the Governor should deem necessary to meet the situation.
The O.W.R. and N. through Supt. Connolly, has advised the citizens of Harrison that an engine will be under steam and in readiness at Tekoa during the present trouble, and at a moments notice to come to Harrison in one hour's time with hose and fire fighting apparatus to assist in any way possible. The extra gang working in the Harrison yards as well as the regular section force helped in a very substantial way during the big fire Saturday and were also on hand Monday evening when the old school house burned, ready to offer services.
F.E. Marler will be among the first to rebuild and Corskie Bros. will also rebuild at once and within a few days we can expect to see a host of workmen starting the work all over the townsite.
All buildings should be up to the established grade and now is the time to prepare for the sewer system that should be installed.
Many believe that a system of registration should be in force in the city so that we might avoid having the city full of loafers at this time and at the same time furnish work to those desiring it.
The telephone company, under the supervision of Mr. Faulkner of Coeur d'Alene who is here all this week making the necessary changes with three or four men stringing wires and in a few days the phone patrons will be able to talk with each other over the phone. About 20 minutes after the fire the telephone was temporarily erected on top of a range setting in the street opposite the bank, where they were able to talk with the outside world, showing the quick services the telephone company had done an on emergency of this kind, and in 20 minutes after the alarm of fire the people here were talking to Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, Wallace and St. Maries. We are informed that the phone company has made a contract for a concrete building, taking a five year lease, and inside of 60 or 90 days, they will be comfortably located in their new quarters.
This Searchlight this week is not up to its standard as far as news is concerned, and we have been busy since the fire doing job printing and the upsetting of the town's business had depressed our mind so we could not get down to business; but our patrons will please overlook it for a week or two and we will try to get back in shape again as usual with the paper.
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Harrison Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 222 Harrison, ID 83833 E-mail: harrison.id.info@gmail.com |
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