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Category Archives: Fires
Coldest day in Springfield history (1905)
Springfield’s temperature fell to 24 degrees below zero at 7 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 1905, the lowest official reading ever recorded in the city. Engines seized up, gas mains failed, and the destitute crowded local jails. Even the ink … Continue reading
Posted in Disasters, Fires, Illinois capital, Weather
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The Mill, tavern and restaurant
The Mill, 906 N. 15th St., was one of Springfield’s most popular dining spots for nearly 40 years. Brothers Herman (1897-1980) and Louis Cohen (1893-1962) opened the tavern and restaurant in May 1933 on the same corner where they had … Continue reading
Posted in Amusements, Fires, Hotels & taverns, Restaurants, Social life, Uncategorized
2 Comments
Johnston-Hatcher fires, 1907 & 1913
The Johnston-Hatcher Co. sold home furnishings of all kinds from 1899 to 1949 in downtown Springfield. The store, however, fell victim to two of the city’s most devastating early 20th-century fires. Johnston-Hatcher was the creation of two sets of brothers … Continue reading
Ben F. Caldwell: politician, farmer, banker
Ben Franklin Caldwell (1848-1924) was a member of Congress and the Illinois legislature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He also was a farmer, banker and civic leader whose donations helped build schools in both Chatham and Thayer. … Continue reading
Edith Martin, teacher & heroine
Teacher Edith Martin may have saved 30 children by forcing them out a second-story window as flames consumed Thayer’s Caldwell School on Feb. 16, 1903. An Illinois State Register special correspondent described the rescues in a highly colored account published … Continue reading
Posted in Buildings, Children, Education, Fires, Schools and school districts
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Ridgely School fire, 1916
Regular fire drills were credited with saving the lives of an unknown number of children when Ridgely School caught fire in the middle of classes on Nov. 15, 1916. The blaze began when sparks from the school’s coal furnace flew … Continue reading
Posted in Buildings, Children, Disasters, Education, Fires, Schools and school districts
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Carver Convalescent Center fire, 1972
Investigators never agreed on the cause of the fire that killed 10 residents of a shabby nursing home on May 6, 1972. The number of deaths make the fire at Carver Convalescent Center, 1527 E. Washington St., the worst single … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Disasters, Fires, Public health
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Bressmer department store fire, 1948
Fire caused by a lightning bolt destroyed the John Bressmer Co. department store in downtown Springfield early on May 2, 1948. First reports estimated damages of $2 million. Even though that figure was later adjusted downward to about $1.3 million, … Continue reading
Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Fires
2 Comments
Boston Store fire, 1915
What was thought to be Springfield’s most disastrous fire ever, up to that point, demolished The Boston Store on the east side of the downtown square on Dec. 7, 1915. The Boston Store was part of a loosely affiliated chain … Continue reading
Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Disasters, Fires, Uncategorized
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Most costly fires in Springfield, 1904-48
The following list of the most destructive fires in Springfield history was published in the May 3, 1948, Illinois State Journal. The list is based solely on the amount of property damage. Damage estimates are not adjusted for inflation. Preliminary … Continue reading
Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Disasters, Fires
2 Comments