Paducah, Kentucky Fire

April 3, 1852

TERRIBLE CONFLAGRATION AT PADUCAH, KY

– FORTY BUILDINGS DESTROYED. - The Cincinnati Nonpareil gives the following particulars of the fire at Paducah, Ky., on the 3rd inst., by which forty buildings were destroyed, and a loss of $100,000 incurred. A partial account of the disaster has already been given by the telegraph. The fire broke out at 4 o'clock in the morning, in the livery stable of J. G Cole, on Front and Main-streets, and crossing Main-street, communicated with the Branch Bank of Kentucky, and thence throughout the whole block embraced between Broadway, Main, Market and Court-streets. The fire then crossed over Broadway to the frame buildings occupied by Ritter & Spainer, and burned out all the buildings between Maiden lane and Market. There was no engine, not one from which could possibly be thrown a drop of water, in a city of 4,000 inhabitants. For a time it seemed our entire city was doomed to destruction, but fortunately, after the progress of the flames to the limits designated, the wind subsided, and thus thousands of property was saved. So far as we can ascertain, in the hurry of the moment, the following are the estimated losses.

Halbert & Ogden, druggists, loss $4,000 ..Haywood House, insured for $2,000 Wm. Smedly, loss $2,000 .. Wm. Norton, loss $7,000 to $8,000, insurance $1,000 A. S. Winston, hardware merchant, loss $2,500, insurance $2,000 ... Neblet & Keller, tinners, loss $800 [?] no insurance. Long & Hurst, livery stable loss $500 D. Lowenstein, merchant tailor, loss $3,000, insured to one-third of stock. Riggs & Bon??? [illegible], dry goods merchants, loss $5,000, insured $3,000. Anderson & Brandon, dry goods dealers, insured for $5,000 Jas. Larmon, a block of storehouses. Loss, $10,000 insured $3,500 S. Kay, loss $2,000, insured for $3,000. Rogers & Titsworth loss $1,800; insurance $2,000 Coe's livery stable, 20 or 30 horses lost, loss $3,000... J. Campbell, lawyer, loss $800, no insurance L & A. Boyd dry goods merchants, loss $700 J. Beauchamp, silver-smith, loss $250. John Wilson, house and furniture, loss $4,000, no insurance... Rabb & Enders, druggists ... Watts, Given & Co $1,000, insured R. H. & W. Enders, $3,000, no insurance.. Lewis Walden, gun smith, loss $1,300 W. W. Haywood $700, no insurance J. Gardner [?] merchant, loss in buildings and furniture $2,000, no insurance.... M M Connor [?] $1,000, no insurance Mrs. Walters, loss $1,000, no insurance J. Shires, loss $500, no insurance Mrs. Stafford, loss $600.

The above comprises the principal losses, so far as we can, in the hurry, bustle and confusion of everything, ascertain. We estimate the loss at from $75,000 to $100,000. Where we mention losses in the above statement, we mean absolute loss, over and above insurance. The Bank buildings were entirely consumed, with a large amount of valuable property. The money, & c., is in the vault, and its fate not yet known.

New York Daily Times, New York, NY 13 Apr 1852

Transcribed by Sandi Carter. Thanks, Sandi!

Search for more information on the Paducah Fire and other disasters in the Historical Newspapers on line at genealogybank.com. Search over 1300 different newspapers.

Search for your ancestors from Paducah, KY among the billions of names at ancestry.com Find birth records, census images, immigration lists and genealogy other databases for your surnames. Use this Free Trial to search for your ancestors.

Kentucky Death Index, 1911-2000 Use this Free trial to search for your ancestors.