Published by permission from the historical society.

Transcribed by Mrs. McElroys' MMS class.

1893-Fire

Sixteen buildings were involved in what proved to be the most destructive fire of the times. The fire was started in Lane’s icehouse a few minutes before 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 12. The fire was small when first discovered, but the wind blew the flames toward the hotel, which soon caught fire. The wind was blowing from the northwest and carried the flames and heat diagonally across the street.

Heroic efforts were made to confine the fire to the north side of Main Street, but there was nothing to fight with except plenty of buckets and little water, so the fire crossed the street and cleaned out the entire wooden row and the Mulvane State Bank stone building. On the north side of the street Lane’s icehouse, hotel building, and sample room, Brown’s grain office, by the old Illinois House and the house recently occupied by H. Mosier as a hotel were burned. The wide space between the Mosier house and the Warren Bank building enabled the men to stop the fire on that side of the street. If it had not been headed off here, it would have gone the entire length of Main Street, or at least to the end of the wooden row.

As soon as the fire caught on the south side, it was evident that the row was doomed. All efforts to stop the fire were useless. Most of the goods and valuables were taken out of the buildings and removed to places of safety.

When it was found that the wooden buildings were sure to burn, the main question was how to save the bank and Robinson’s store. An effort was made to blow up the old Denton store building adjoining the bank, but the fire spread so rapidly that it was all afire before this could be accomplished. The flames from the bank half encircled Robinson’s store at both front and rear, especially more at the rear. The front was considerably damaged and one plate glass was broken. The wooden shed was torn away from the rear, but still the flames whipped around so fiercely that it required the most heroic efforts to save the building. As it was, the rear end of the building was badly damaged. The windows and door were destroyed and some damage done inside.

The bank building is a total wreck. The sidewalls are standing but the front end is gone. All the money, valuable papers, and books were put into the vault and are supposed to be safe; thought he vault has not been opened yet.

A list of the buildings partially or totally destroyed follows: Daniel Lane- two story hotel ice house and sample room; E.A. Brown- grain office and scales; Illinois House- A.A. Rucker; Sarah E. Gordon, hotel building recently occupied by H. Mosier; depot, owned by Hawk Bros., included two buildings; Chas. Gurtner building; Mrs. Resser’s building occupied by Bob Lowe; building owned by Mrs. A.D. Doyle and occupied by Mrs. Burch, a dressmaker; unoccupied store room belonging to Daniel Lane; Daniel Lane building occupied by W.D. FitzSimmons, a barber; Daniel Lane building occupied by Mossbarger’s Meat Market; Daniel Lane bakery building occupied by Joe Tague; D.G. Denton building occupied by Mrs. Skinner, millinery; D.G. Denton bank building; Mulvane State Bank; W.C. Robinson’s store.

The fire originated from one of two causes; either spontaneous combustion or a spark from a passing locomotive.

(Information taken from the Mulvane Record, April 14, 1893.)