Fire Buffs promote the general welfare of the fire and rescue service and protect its heritage and history. Famous Fire Buffs through the years include New York Fire Surgeon Harry Archer, Boston Pops Conductor Arthur Fiedler, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and - legend has it - President George Washington.


Tuesday, April 08, 2008

HISTORIC INCIDENTS 1834-1978



The following is a modified version of "The Disaster List" - the Clark County Historical Society's record of fires and emergencies:

1800s

Maddox Fisher Mill - Dec. 5, 1834
Fonghrby Utlity (cq) & Independence Co Fire - 1837
Linn & Murry Fire (N.E. Corner Main & Limestone) - Feb. 21, 1840
Muzzie & Frankenberg Mill Fire (Mill Run & Buck Creek) - Feb. 2, 1857
Barnett Flour Mill Fire (Buck Creek & N. Limestone) - Feb. 2, 1863
Rat Row Fire (S.E. Market St) - 1868
B&J Funk Keys Grocery Fire (S. Side Main @ Fisher) Capt. Oscar Keys died from internal injuries in fall down elevator shaft - June 28, 1886
Ferrell & Ludley & Rodgers Fire (E. Side S. Limestone & Union) - 1873
First Lutheran Church Fire, 1 firefighter killed - June 25, 1873
Ohio Southern Roundhouse Fire - Jan. 8, 1887
Lumberyard Fire, 3 story brick shop, 2 story frame dwelling (Main & Western) $10,000 damage, 4,000 ft hose used - Aug. 30, 1887

James Leffel Co. Fire ( Lagonda Ave.) Steamer used. 2,800 ft hose used - Oct. 11, 1887
Good & Reese Greenhouse Fire (S. Limestone) - April 14, 1890
Winter’s Act Litho (W. High St) - March 15, 1892
Arcade Hotel Fire (Fountain & High) - Feb. 19, 1894
Lagonda House Fire (Limestone & Main) - Oct. 29, 1895

Arcade Building Fire (Fountain & High) - April 3, 1896

1900s

Hamma School of Theology, Wittenberg College - Dec. 28, 1900
E.W. Ross Shop Fire - Jan. 14, 1901
Congregational Church Fire - Jan. 22, 1901
East Street Shops Fire (East St & Kenton St) - Feb. 10, 1902
Black’s Opera House Fire (Main & Fountain) - Feb. 19, 1903 (Also listed as Block and Black Opera House)
Methodist Campground Hotel Fire - Aug. 5, 1904
Methodist Campground Fire ("All") - Nov. 17, 1904
"Jungle" Fire - 1906
Freedom Oil & 4 Houses Fire (Fountain & Rockway) - Aug. 26, 1907
Barn & 5 Houses Fire (Clifton & Vine) - Sept. 19, 1907
Cartmell Bldg. Fire (Main & Center) - Sept. 7, 1908
Wickham-Chapman Piano Co. Fires (Sheridan Ave) - Sept. 26, 1908
C.C. Fried & Sons Co. Fire (6 E. Main St) February 29, 1909
H.V. Bretney Tannery Fires - Dec. 3, 1912 (Also listed as Dec. 12)
Beggans Store Fire - Jan. 22, 1914
Kearms & Lechschuety’s Plant Fire - March 6, 1914
Robbins & Myers Co. Fire (Lagonda Ave). Started 4 p.m. $175,000 damage. - Dec. 12, 1914
Theo. Frank Stables Fire (26 N. Fountain Ave) - Aug. 21, 1916
O.S. Kelly Co. Fire (Limestone & Warder) $ 175,000 damage - Nov.25, 1916
Buffalo Springfield Road Roller Co. Fire $500,000 damage. - April 11, 1917
Clark County Court House Fire Started @ 1 a.m. $1 million damage. - March 12, 1918
Kauffman Store & McCoy Fire Started @ 11 p.m. - Jan. 22, 1921

Country Club Fire - June 14, 1922
Fairbanks Piano Plate Co. Fire (Kenton St) - Nov. 13, 1922
Armstrong Foundry Fire (Dibert & R.R.) - Steamer used - 1924
Springfield Abattoir Parkside Ind. Bldg. Fire - Started at 3 p.m., $10,000 damage. - May 12, 1925 (1st general alarm of day)
Brain Lumber Co. Fire (East St.) $150,000 - May 12, 1925 (2nd general alarm of day)
Mass Foos Co. Fire (Isabell between Main & Columbia). Steamer used. - Dec. 17, 1925

Spfld. Malleable Iron Fire (Williams & Main) - April 28, 1926
Bryant Bldg. Basket Co. Fires (14 W. Columbia). Steamers used - Jan. 17, 1928

Jefferson School Fire (McCreight & Garfield) 2 a.m. - Feb. 19, 1928
Central Brass Co. Fire (Jefferson St) - Feb. 13, 1929
Avalon Park Dance Pavilion Fire (Auburn Ave) - Dec. 9, 1930
Phito (cq) Fire (Tibbetts & Pleasant) - April 24, 1931
Peter Boggan Co Fire (34 E. Main St) - Jan. 10, 1932
Cheney Mfg Co Fire - Jan. 17, 1934
William Baley Co Fire (Warder St) - June 1935
Tuttle Brothers Hardware Fire (Monroe St) - Nov. 17, 1937
Springfield Hardware Fire - June 1, 1938
Hoenings Store Fire- Robbins Bldg.- April 10, 1939
Clark County Lumber Co. Fire (W. Main St) - May 20, 1939
Elks Club Fire - Aug. 13, 1939
Trappers Corner Fire (Main & Fountain) - Nov. 6, 1939
Carmedy Lab Fire (625 W. Main) - Jan. 8, 1940
Stratton Grain Co. Fire (211 Mt. Vernom) - March 25, 1940
Norman Friedman Warehouse Fire (Penn & Section) - May 6, 1940
Oliver Farm Equipment Co Fire (270 Monroe) - Dec. 9, 1940
Union National Mill Fire (Warder & Power) - Jan. 12, 1942
Allen Tool & Mfg Fire (R-723 S. Lowery) - July 17, 1942
Crowell Collier Co Fire (202 W. High) - Jan. 16, 1943
Garmen Dress Shop Fire (25 S. Limestone) - May 24, 1943
Rhodes Paper Box Co Fire (66 St. Johns Pl) - May 4, 1944
Cappel House Furnishings Fire (126 E. High) - May 23, 1945
The Park Bar Fire (142 W. Main St) - Feb. 4, 1946
Diehl Hardware Co. Fire (66-68 W. Main) - Oct. 14, 1946
McCall Coach Co Fire (107 Bechtle) - May 19, 1947
Spfld. Coffin & Casket Co Fire (310 S. Spring) - Sept. 28, 1947

Ridgely Trimmer Co Fire (1300 Kenton) - Nov. 11, 1947
Paul Straley Home Fire (1617 E. High) - Jan. 25, 1948
Conrad Motors Fire (130 E. Columbia St) - Feb. 5, 1948
Citizen Dairy Fire (Penn & Section) - Aug. 2, 1948
International Steel Wool Fire (1018 Kenton) - Sept. 18, 1948
Davidson Storage Garage Fire (311 W. Main) - Nov. 7, 1950
Robbins & Meyers Plant Explosion (Sherman Ave) - Feb. 10, 1951
Bundy Inc Co Fire (301 Greenmont) - Dec. 8, 1951
Evelyns Laundry Fire (R-222 E. Main) - June 24, 1952
Koehler Hardware Co Fire (1731 E. Main) - June 26, 1952
Old Zimmerman Bldg. Fire (Limestone & Main) - March 10, 1953
Moose Club Fire (32 W. Washington) - Nov. 8, 1953
Western School Fire (Main & Yellow Springs St) - Jan. 4, 1954
Ripley Auto Center Fire (100 W. North) - Jan. 19, 1954
Hynes Dress Shop Fire (11 E. High) - Nov. 13, 1954
Western Tool Mfg Fire (1620 E. Pleasant) - Feb. 19, 1956
King Bldg Fire (21 S. Fountain) - Sept. 15, 1956
Borden Co Fire (125 N. Fountain) - Feb. 20, 1958
Potts Auto Body. Arson. - 1959
Miami Pattern Shop Fire (1302 S. Yellow Springs) - March 9, 1960
Mercycrest Fire (100 W. McCrieght) - Aug. 10, 1961
Blair Mfg. Co Fire (1620 E. Pleasant) - June 19, 1962
Specter Junk Yard Fire (Main & Jackson) - 1964
Haucke Hardware Fire (333 W. Main) - Aug. 11 1964
Western Tool Co Fire (1620 E. Pleasant) - Oct. 3, 1964
Springfield Laundry Fire (141 N. Murry) - April 27, 1966
Howard Sobers Trucking Co Fire (Lagonda & Belmont) - 1968
Landmark Mill Fire (442 N. Limestone) - Sept. 17, 1968
Penn Central Freight House Fire (300 S. Limestone) - Aug. 25, 1970
D.T.I. Freight House Fire (300 S. Limestone) - Oct. 9, 1970
Helkensen Paper Box Fire (714 Rubsam) - April 9, 1971
Midwest Rug Cleaners Fire (R-230 Chestnut) - June 18, 1971
Ronez Homes Fire (Belmont & Home Rd) - Aug. 7, 1971
B&M Fiberglass Fire (350 S. Fountain) - Aug. 9, 1971
Yannucci’s Restaurant Fire (1725 W. Main St) - March 7, 1972
Springfield Furniture Fire (502 W. Euclid) - Aug. 28, 1972
Credit Life Fire (204 S. Lowery) - Sept. 2, 1972
Kar Gard Fire (2100 S. Limestone) - Oct. 21, 1972
Ebners Junk Yard Fire (North & Water) - 1973
Tower Hall, Wittenberg University - Feb. 1, 1977


OTHER EMERGENCIES

1800s

Cholera. 75 dead. - 1832-33
High St. Bridge destroyed by Flood (York St) - May 13, 1886
N. Limestone St Bridge collapse over Buck Falls - 1889
Cyclone strikes south-side of city - July 13, 1892
Mad River floods east-side of city. Some houses see 3-4 ft of water (Columbia & North) - 1897

1900s

Riots after slaying of police officer - March 6, 1904
Riots on Columbia Street & Levee. Levee burned. - March 7-8, 1906
Great Dayton-Springfield Flood - March 12, 1913
Ku KluxKlan Convention - April 2, 1913
Columbia Theater Collapsed into Mill Run - Sept. 28, 1917
Influenza outbreak. 5,000 infected. - 1918

Riots - March 12, 1921
Flood - Feb. 26, 1929
Urbana Pike wreck - 1929
Traction Collision. 7 killed. - Aug. 10, 1935
Blizzard - Dec. 25, 1935
Blizzard - Jan. 22, 1936
Interurban Crash on C&L.E. near city - April 28, 1936
Twister destroys steeples of Broadus Church - February 1937
Earthquake. 9:47 a.m. 30 seconds. - March 7, 1937
Blizzard - Nov. 25, 1950

Gas in Sewers (34 Lagonda) - March 24, 1953
N. Limestone Bridge Collapsed - Nov. 11, 1957

Flood - January 1959
Blizzard - Jan. 27, 1978