Fire!!
REPUBLIC WAS SCORCHED!
$100,000 FIRE DESTROYS WHOLE ROW OF BUSINESSES IN THE HEART OF TOWN ON MAY 4, 1904
A disastrous fire wiped out five of the leading stores, along with two residences, in Republic on May 4, 1904. The fire apparently started in the basement of the Finnish Co-operative Store, where a hot fire was being used in the manufacture of sausages. An over-heated chimney was the probable cause. Miss Florence MacDonald, a clerk on the main floor, detected the blaze and sounded the alarm. The firemen quickly arrived but were unable to put out the fire until five buildings, their contents, and two homes were destroyed.
The principal losses were from the following businesses:
Finnish Co-op. General Store and meat market, Munson & Peterson-Drug store and hardware. JO. Utberg-General Store, meat market and bakery. F.H. Kearney & Co. – Building occupied by Republic Store Co., and Van Dyke Bros Meat Market. DS. S& A Railway Co. Railroad Station, Dr E. E. Lamb – Residence JO. Utberg-Residence.
Munson & Peterson and J.O. Utberg businesses (a double building) were considered the largest mercantile bldg. In the U. P. The location of the fire was at the west end of Republic Ave. and the south-west end of Front Street. The firemen worked valiantly to save the rest of the business section. The fire scorched the Methodist Church which was across the street from some of the affected buildings.
NEW PASCOE HOUSE HOTEL IN ASHES POSSIBLE ARSON IN JANUARY 29, 1904 FIRE
The building, located on the south-west corner of Kloman and Front St., was a two story frame structure with a basement, belonging to the Carey estate and is covered by insurance. However, the lessees, Mr and Mrs ES Rowland, had assumed management just a few months before and were unprotected by insurance. They lost everything, including hotel fixtures, furniture & personal belongings
The fire started in the storeroom west of the office on the ground floor. A guest, Will Tobin, was returning from a social and he saw a strange light in the ground floor of the hotel. He found James Laidey, who was ejected from the hotel recently, and demanded to know what he was doing. Laidey slunk away and Tobin tried to extinguish the blaze and hurried to send an alarm to the fire station.
The upstairs guests detected smoke coming through the floor of the dining room and Proprietor Rowland was investigating the source when he was informed of the fire on the lower floor. He calmly and quietly told the guests to take their wraps and leave. Miss Edith Rowland knocked on the doors to alert everybody, who got out safely.
The firemen were prompt and may have saved the greater part of the building, but for an accident to the steamer which threw the engine completely out of commission. Saving the hotel was then out of the question and the firemen threw their attention to protecting the neighboring property. Townspeople and firemen alike showed rare perserverance in the task, despite the bitter cold. There was no loss of life, except for Rowland’s dog, Carlo. (James Laidy was arrested and brought to Circuit Court for trial. No other mention of what happened to him.)
DISASTROUS 1916 FIRE IN REPUBLIC DESTROYS THREE BUILDINGS
Three of Republic’s principal business buildings were leveled to the ground by an early morning fire on January 13,1916. The buildings destroyed were:
Three of Republic’s principal business buildings were leveled to the ground by an early morning fire on January 13,1916. The buildings destroyed were:
Ericson Building, on the corner of Front Stand Kloman Avenue, occupied by Alphonse VanDyck, meat market; and the Republic Post Office, occupying the rear portion with frontage on Kloman.
Palo Building, Front St., adjoining Ericson’s on the south; occupied by William Palo-billiard hall and bowling alley on the first floor, residence apartments on the second. The building was originally owned by Mrs Louise Fereryre who kept a saloon there for many years.
Hocking Building Front St., adjoining Palo’s on the south; occupied by A. J. Hocking, confectionery, etc.
The fire began in the first floor of the Palo building in the early hours, possibly from an overheated stove or electrical wires. The cause may remain a mystery. The fire quickly became a mass of flames and the occupants of the residence upstairs were lucky to escape. The firemen responded quickly but the fire had already spread to the two adjoining buildings. Town people helped remove some stock from the stores. The firemen went on the roof of the next building to the south, the Scandina- vian Society structure occupied by CW. Munson, and directed the flow of water to the Hocking Blg. The Scandinavian building was not seriously damaged but practically nothing was saved from the Palo building and a little from the others. The Post office removed most of their material to the Cowling building occupied by Bert Anderson’s electrical shop.
Republic 1916 FIRE ON SOUTH EAST CORNER OF KLOMAN AND FRONT ST. Two buildings on left, Ericson bldg (occupied by Van Dyck meat market) and Palu Bldg Pool Hall and Howling with residence upstairs were burned to the ground. The third building to the south of Pato’s way the A. J. Hocking store, which was unsalvagable. The Scandivanian structure on the right was occupied by the CW. Munson store and was safe.