Independence, Iowa Fire

May 25, 1874

The fire, which was the most destructive from a monetary standpoint, that had ever, up to that date, occurred in the history of Iowa, commenced at 2 o’clock, Monday morning, May 25th, in a frame building on Chatham Street, south of, and adjoining the Burr Block (about opposite to where the postoffice and barber shop is now located), and occupied by Mrs. Elis Brown, as a millinery store and residence. A family by the name of Holt also had rooms in the second story.

These families were aroused from slumber by the night watchman and before they had time to dress, the fire had communicated with the outside stairway, cutting off all egress. In this dilemma Mr. Holt, acting with calm, superior judgment, seized a mattress and threw it to the ground, and they all in turn leaped from the burning building onto the mattress and escaped without injury from the fall.

The fire swept southward toward Main Street with amazing rapidity, the old, dry frame buildings were consumed like straw. The fire then were quick to respond to the first alarm and got the hand engines to work without delay, but with no appreciable effect.

The flames soon communicated with the Burr Block and in an incredibly short time that fine structure, including four stores and the St. James Hotel, was a raging furnace. A new steam engine, lately purchased by the city, had arrived but a day or two previous and was awaiting the coming of the general agent for trial and acceptance by the city. When the fire began to assume formidable proportions, it occurred to our competent engineer and machinist, Dick Guernsey, that this machine was not fulfilling its destiny lying idle in the engine house. So, with the assistance of some of the crowd, he took it to the river in the rear of the Burr Block, filled its boiler by means of a garden pump, lighted the fire, attached the hose, and ran the steamer to its utmost capacity during the remainder of the night, doing most efficient service. When it is remembered that the engine had neither steam nor water gauges attached, and was operated by Mr. Guernsey entirely without means to indicate the pressure or state of the water in time boiler, and at imminent risk of his life, the heroism of the act will be realized.

The new steamer, under these unfavorable circumstances, behaved admirably, and more than realized all the good that had been promised of it. It undoubtedly the sole agency by which property of many times more value than the cost of the machine was saved from the flames. The lumber yard of Benton & Company, on the opposite side of Chatham Street from the St. James Hotel, was on fire several times, but was promptly extinguished by the strong and steady stream of water from the steamer. Had it burned, the conflagration would without doubt have swept through the square, consuming the Munson Block, the First National Bank Building and other valuable property. The march of the devouring element toward Main Street was resistless, successfully taking four more stores and a bank, situated on the corner where the Iekel Block is now. The proprietors of these last named establishments saved a part of their goods. At this point the conflagration began to assume gigantic proportions. The entire block, consisting of the Wilcox Building and two other buildings on the north side of Main Street, between Chatham and the bridge, was of wooden structure, and soon became a seething mass of flame and fully verified the common prediction that it was a veritable fire trap. It burned with a fierce intensity and carried destruction to everything in its vicinity. This block contained four stores, the second story being occupied by several different concerns. Most of the occupants had removed their goods to the bridge, where they were heaped in the utmost confusion, and as the surging flame advanced, they were again removed to a place of safety. The wind, which was but a gentle zephyr when the fire commenced, became a brisk breeze from the northwest, and consequently sealed the fate of South Main Street. It fanned the blaze and sent an avalanche of burning cinders across the street and soon the fine three-story brick block, magnificent in those days, was in the grasp of the insatiable monster. This block, also the property of the Wilcox estate, was occupied by six stores on the first floor and six establishments, among them the library, on the second floor and the Masonic and Firemen’s halls on the third floor.

Much of the goods which had been removed from these buildings, through miscalculation of the intense heat, was burned, although thought to be in a place of safety. When this block became engulfed in the raging sea of flame, the calamity seemed to have reached its climax of terror and destructiveness, because this splendid building was the pride and boast of our little city; no interior City in Iowa contained so fine a structure, but regrets were in vain and when the fiery demon had spent his fury on this noble edifice it proceeded to satisfy its lust for ruin on the brick building next the bridge, which was occupied by a music and millinery store, a law office and the Odd Fellows Hall.

It was hoped that the high brick wall on the east side of the Wilcox Block would be a barrier to the flames in that direction and this might have been the case but for the frame warehouses and old shanties in the rear of these buildings, all the way to the Montour House (at the corner of Walnut and Main), where the Commercial Bank now is. These served as a choice morsel to the avaricious appetite of the monster and the flames devoured them with in-credible fierceness and speed; then the buildings in front, one after the other were entirely gutted. The march of the destroyer was steady, persistent and resistless; this block was occupied by thirteen stores, the opera house, the Montour Hotel, and both the Bulletin and Conservative offices, all of which were totally destroyed; then two livery stables in the rear were soon masses of smoking ruins. While all this was transpiring on Main Street, the buildings on the south side of that block, including the German Presbyterian Church and five residences, were completely destroyed, leaving that entire block bare of everything, except here and there the broken fragments of wall standing like sentinels over the ashes of the dead. The new engine, drawing water from a cistern at the corner of Main and Walnut streets, kept the roof of the furniture store across the street (where the Tidball department store is located) wet, thus saving it and the whole southeastern portion of the city. At 6 A. M. the fire was finally subdued, but in those four hours that elapsed after the sharp stroke of the town bell aroused our citizens from their peaceful slumbers, fully nine-tenths of the most valuable business places with nearly an equal proportion of the stocks of the merchants, were but smoldering heaps of ruins. Thirty-nine business houses, two hotels, one church, five dwellings, and two livery stables were included in the terrible disaster. Independence, in proportion to her wealth, was worse smitten than was Chicago on her memorable disaster of three years previous, but great as was the calamity, it is a subject for sincere congratulation and great wonder that no loss of life occurred, though there were several narrow escapes. One particularly miraculous escape was that of Mr. Clarence Fonda, then a young boy. He had been sent to the west side of the river with a span of horses, to bring over the old fire engine. When he reached the bridge he found this impracticable on account of the wall of fire that rendered Main Street on the east side of the river a veritable avenue of flame, so he mounted one of the horses and imprudently attempted. to run through the fiery furnace. As he came opposite the Wilcox Block, where the fire was raging the fiercest and the heat was most intense, it was noticed that the boy’s clothes began smoking and the noble beast cringed in the scorching blast; the horse never faltered and bore him safely through, though both horse and boy were severely burned. A momentary halt and both would have undoubtedly succumbed.

Two nights after the fire of which we have written, the citizens were again called from their beds by the clang of the fire bell. About half past 11 o’clock on Wednesday evening, May 27th, the Star foundry and machine shop owned by Frank Megow was discovered to be on fire. The steam fire engine being disabled, and the fire, having, before discovery, got a fair start in the dry wooden foundry building, all efforts to stop it were futile. The greatest excitement prevailed in consequence of this second fire. Many believing that their theory of systematic purpose of an incendiary to burn the entire city, was confirmed. Yet the majority of people entertained no such conclusion and attributed it to accident if not carelessness.

It was but natural that these terrible catastrophes should first fall with stunning effect upon our people. This feeling was but temporary, however, the first shock past, it gave place to a hopeful courage and an indomitable determination to conquer an adverse fate, which led the people, before the ashes were yet cold, and while the ruins were yet smoldering, to make preparations for rebuilding a large part of the burned district, and the business interests not only recuperated, but greatly advanced in astonishing degree.

The combined loss of the different establishments was $545,000, covered by insurance to the amount of $233,400.

Of the business men who went through that fire and are still in business only three remain, they are John Gorman, Byron Tabor and John Barnett, Sr., and of the fifty or more business houses, which have continued and are still represented in name at least, are John Gorman's tailor shop, the Tabor drug store, Wallace drug store, Barnett dry goods, O’Brien dry goods, Plane's hardware, Steinmetz's shoe store, Iekel's shoe store, Burke’s barber shop and the Bulletin and Conservative offices. The public library was a complete loss, nothing was saved but the record books and those books in the hands of patrons.

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