Volume 23,
Number 4

June 1999

The Volunteer Fire Department of The City of Goodland performed quickly and professionally as they have for more  than 100 years on Friday, April 20, 1999.  At 5:15 p.m. the call to 911 reported a fire in the cement block building formerly housing Mosburg's IGA at 10th and Center Streets.   There was fire and smoke damage to the interior and roof, but no serious structural damage, and being the only building on the north half of the block, no other businesses or residences were threatened.

This fire, though costly, cannot compare to conflagration that Goodland witnessed on Monday June 27, 1949.  This fire consumed the buildings in the center of the block on the west side of Main Street, destroying the contents of a grocery store, a Recreation Parlor, a furniture store, and VFW Post 1133 housed in the two story building.  More of this disaster later.

Forty years before in 1909, the buildings in the same location met a similar fate, then consuming a millinery shop, a Racket (Notions) Store and several other businesses.  In that same year, the two story frame construction containing the Depot Hotel and Grier House restaurant at the railroad station was reduced to ashes in a spectacular blaze. 

At the turn of the century in September of 1900, what was termed 'Smoky Row' located on the west side of Main between 8th and 9th Streets was totally destroyed.  The account given in the Goodland New Republic of Friday, September 28, 1900, states, "the loss, which a very conservative estimate places at $8,000, falls upon the owners of the properties destroyed as insurance companies refused to take risks of any kind in the block".  Residents termed the block a local disgrace.

The fire started in a paint store at the north end of the row of structures at 12:30 a.m., and quickly enveloped neighboring buildings.  An occupant of Cullins Saloon, the only one of three such establishments in the block open at the time, stepped outside and saw the flames rolling over the roof of the paint store.  He immediately gave the alarm and the railroad shop whistle and city water works bell roused the town.

Even with the hardy volunteers and a good supply of water, the wind from the northeast quickened the destruction.  The crowed quickly began removing what contents could be dragged out before the fire reached the structures to the south.  Even though most of the furniture, cigars and liquor were saved from Cullins Saloon, a storage building next door holding a carload of beer was destroyed.  Mr. Murphy's law office was lost, but he managed to save important papers from the safe in time.  Cullins' barn in back of the saloon was involved and 200 bushels of oats and considerable hay were burned.  His horse and bicycle were saved.

Flying embers and the prevailing wind could have meant disaster for other buildings, but a rain during the evening had dampened the city, preventing a wider area of destruction.  An editorial comment by the New Republic, "Many of the firefighters filled up on the salvaged goods in order to keep warm as the night was cold".

A list of business buildings and dollar amounts (c1900) states, law offices, $200, contents $50; Cullins Saloon, $400, stock and damage to furniture, $1,000; Phillips-Stewart Saloon, $350, stock and fixtures, $1,500; Sleeping room, $200, personal effects, $150; Coffin's furniture, $2,000; building used as storeroom, $200, contents of same, $800; Walker paint store, building and contents, $250; Cullins' barn, $100.

By all accounts, this was a fire of suspicious origin, an attempt having been made to set a fire the week before.

Kansas was a "dry State" since it achieved statehood in 1861.  The 'dry forces' had for years attempted to close the saloons in Goodland, but law enforcement was relaxed to say the least, and fines were levied on a regular basis, paid by the offenders, and business carried on as usual.   However, on January 5, 1900, a notice electrified the citizens by announcing that the saloons would close as none could pay the fines!  Business was slack, and the WCTU was influencing everyone, even the railroad was laying off men who drank.  The 'wet forces' came through obviously, for on January 12, the newspaper announced the saloons would re-open...  The city had lowered the fines.

Thus, the firery conclusion to the see-saw battle on a cold September night

The cause of this terrible fire was never determined, no one was ever prosecuted, and the question is still asked, "Who burnt Smoky Row?"

The blaze 49 years later on a fine breezy June evening started about 10 minutes till 7 when a gust of wind blew burning trash in the alley behind Garrett's Recreation Parlor into the back entry area of the White House Grocery.  Unaware of the situation for a few critical moments, the dry wood of the buildings combined with the tarred roofs and the gusty wind quickly took control out of the hands of the occupants.

The southwest corner of 10th and Main contained the brick Goodland State Bank.  Next door to the north was the Safeway Store, then the Bigler Building, also brick, housing The Goodland Daily News and the Bigler family apartment in the second story.  These three businesses each occupied a 25 foot frontage.

The northwest corner of 10th and Main was the location of Babcocks Service Station, a stuccoed block building, and next door south, the Ford Motor Company and the adjacent law offices of Thomas Taggart.  Both these buildings were brick and contained upstairs apartments.

The buildings in between the Daily News and the law offices contained a second grocery store, the recreation hall, a furniture store, and a two story building owned by the American Legion and occupied by VFW Post #1133.   The considerable expanse of business space was of frame construction with corrugated iron covering and tarred roofs.

The Volunteer Fire Department was on the scene in minutes, and realizing the scope of the blaze, called on the surrounding cities of Kanorado, Burlington, Colby, and Sharon Springs, all of whom responded with a total of 40 firefighters and necessary equipment.

Water was used in enormous volume, at the height of the fire the auxiliary city street washer and the fire truck were pumping 750 gallons per minute.  The two fire engines were pumping 900 gallons per minute from the Colby fire engine connected to a plug at 11th Street.  The Kanorado truck performed at is capacity from a plug at 10th & Center.

Miraculously the wind died down after its initial mischief, and the water contained the blaze to the frame buildings while cooling the brick walls at each end.

Only a year before, in 1948, the city fathers took their own 'heat' for the expense incurred for drilling another well for the City of Goodland.  After the smoke cleared, literally, on June 27, 1949, residents could only thank the foresight of those 'in charge' for the performance of the equipment that provided same.

The aftermath of this emergency was not soon forgotten.  Herman Kreuser was a pioneer in the grocery business.  Herman had prepared his daily receipts and totals for the month to close out the June books, but decided to go eat before totaling up.  Needless to say, his inventory was lost, but more upsetting was the destruction of his financial records.  In business since 1907, Mr. Kreuzer's White House Grocery was one of the oldest established in the area.  His loss was estimated at $20,000 in 1949 dollars.  (Inflation over the past 50 years makes this amount comparable to $87,000 in 1999.)

Garrett's Recreation Parlor was totally destroyed along with its contents, and several hundred dollars worth of merchandise unloaded the afternoon before the fire.  The loss was well over $20,000 at the time for this location, added to the loss of the building housing the White House Grocery which Herb Garrett also owned.  The history of these buildings in Goodland's business district is interesting.  Grant Garrett, Herb's father owned the buildings and ran a secondhand store from 1920 till 1931 when Herb opened the recreation parlor in the north part of the building.  The south part had since been occupied after the second hand store closed, by Western Auto, a fruit market, and the White House Grocery.

Frey's Furniture was totally consumed in less than an hour by the roaring blaze.

Having been in the same location for 10 years, Frey's had recently remodeled and redecorated and had added new lines of furniture, carpet and appliances.  Francis Frey and his father, J.J., partners since 1945, had built up an extensive business in the area.

They were unable to salvage any inventory.

Only the frame of the two story American Legion Building was left standing, the interior was a total loss.  All fixtures, furniture, valuable artifacts and memoirs were lost in the flames, or drenched by the tons of water poured on in an effort to save the historic building.  Erected in 1904, the building was originally owned by the Grand Army of the Republic with the Women's Relief Corp auxiliary.  In 1919 the American Legion Post was granted the building through the WRC.  The building had been used for Legion functions, for Navy Mothers, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others.  At the time of the fire the Vet's Club was located in the main part of the building.

The author of this recap was an eyewitness at the 1949 conflagration.  I was at home discussing the events of the day when the fire whistle at the Rock Island shop blew.  It was nearly 7 p.m. on a June evening, and the wind had begun to blow, not unusual in mid-summer on the high plains.  We hopped in the car and followed the fire engine north on Center Street, then turned right on 10th street.  We saw flames shooting out of the back of a building in the alley to our left as we drove east, but with the black smoke we were unable to see which business was involved.

Still ahead of the ultimate tangle of equipment and firefighters, we drove across Main, angle parked on the north side of the telephone building, and walked across the street to sit on the steps of the Hotel Goodland, directly across from the growing fire.  A crowd soon gathered.  Teens 'dragging Main' and people on the way to the Sherman Theater parked their cars off Main Street and quickly took places by us on the hotel steps.  There were at least 40 of us gathered on that steep narrow entry.  The noise was awesome, the roar of the flames, the whine of the pumping trucks, and explosions like cannons firing that went on and on.  Later we learned the cans of food in the grocery store and cans of paint in the furniture store were exploding in the heat.

The volume of water the trucks poured on the fire was amazing, and when the water hit the sides of the brick buildings, steam spewed and mixed with the smoke.  The wind had died, and the smoke and steam were billowing straight up in the air.  We had a clear view from across the street, and commented on the heat of the flames reaching us across the wide brick Main street.

The age of the group of spectators that night was probably 19 years.  Many were 1949 graduates of Sherman Community High School.   The 50th Class Reunion is scheduled this October, during Homecoming 1999.  It will be interesting to discover how many who attend remember that night of endings when beginnings were so important.

It is miraculous that no lives have been lost or serious injuries sustained in the fires that have swept our city.  It is certain that if the firefighters and law enforcement officers had not been laboring to contain that awful blaze, the entire crowd on the hotel steps would have been dispersed and chastised for their dangerous curiosity.

At this point in the narrative we salute the Volunteer Fire Department in Goodland that has performed with such speed and efficiency through the years.  The Fire Insurance Rates are much lower here than in some cities with professionals because of the firefighters' quick response.  The citizens of Goodland and Sherman County are indebted daily to the Chief and these fine men who voluntarily come within harm's way many times during the year to protect our property.

Like the legendary Phoenix, the business block began to rise from the ashes.  As soon as the debris was cleared, Herb Garrett began rebuilding at his location.  A modern buff colored brick building was finished in 1950 for a retail liquor store in the south half, owned and managed by Herb.   State laws had changed and Kansas was no longer a totally dry state.

On the north side a children's shop opened called Fairyland.  It was the first retail endeavor of Cecil and Wanda Schneider.   Several modern apartments occupied the second story.  (The Fairyland location is now a busy Laundromat, both it and the retail liquor business are still owned and operated by the Garretts.)

The lots north of Garrett's new building remained empty for a few years, then other brick structures filled the space and have housed various offices and businesses in the prime downtown business district.

Frey's Furniture re-opened in the space between the Goodland State Bank and The Goodland Daily News formerly occupied by Safeway.   Frey's later opened a larger store in the historical location at 13th and Main.   The business closed only a few years later due to Francis Frey's untimely death.

Herman Kreuzer elected not to return to business after his drastic loss, and retired after a long career in the grocery business.

In time, the Veterans of Foreign Wars moved to the large building at 9th and Main that had formerly contained the local roller skating rink.  Over the years the organization has developed an attractive VFW Post and Club.   The American Legion moved to a small building across from the court house at 9th and Broadway.  Due to a diminishing membership in the late 1980's, the building was sold and the Legion now holds meetings and events at the Vets Club.

There have been many individually devastating fires in Goodland's history, but here we have concentrated on the Main Street business area.  We appreciate comments from Historical Society members on any and all our stories and if other information is available, please contact any Board member.

The Bulletin is compiled for your enjoyment and for the younger generation's interest.  Our mission is to educate!

Sources for this article:
     Volume 1, Sherman County and Family History
     Sherman County Herald, Editions: June 28 and June 30, 1949
     Herbert L. Garrett
     Gary Garrett
     Gary Webring, Edward Jones Investments
     Lowell Connolly
     Marilyn Cooper
     Goodland, Kansas-May, 1999

COLLECTOR'S ITEM CALENDAR

The Collector's Item Year 2000 Calendar researched and compiled by Evelyn Ward, Vice President of the Sherman County Historical Society will be available in time for the holiday season, however, the Society is presenting a special offer for members and their families, and the general public.   If the calendar is ordered prior to its publication, there is a special price of $10.00.

The calendar contains historical events from the founding of Sherman County printed on each day of the 366 year of 2000.  The events are excerpts taken directly from the 3 volume set of history books published in the late 1970's.

A further exciting offer and an unusual and much appreciated gift idea follows:
     Order a Year 2000 Calendar and a 3 Volume Set of Sherman County and
     Family History, for $50.00.

Be watching your mail for the special pre-publication form to be out this summer.

HOMESTEADERS TO BE HONORED

Twenty-Eight families who are still farming the original homesteads established by their ancestors in early Sherman County will be honored at a special ceremony in January of 2000.

Evelyn Ward, Chairman of the project, has requested we remind our members if they are aware of any other residents that are still working or working and living on the original homestead, to please inform her.  This is a unique situation and we certainly don't want to inadvertently exclude any family.

Call Evelyn at 899-3351, or any other Board member with the information.

BOUND HISTORICAL SOCIETY BULLETINS GAINING POPULARITY

Copies of the Sherman County Historical Society Bulletins dating from 1976 to the present are available for $20.00.  These books also make great gifts all year round, and would be sensational learning tools for school children from grade 6 and up.

Copies can be purchased at the High Plains Museum Store Monday through Saturday from 9 to 5, and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

KIDDER BOOK DUE IN LATE SUMMER

Due to a 'glitch' at the publishing house, the book by Randy Johnson that details Lt. Lyman Kidder's life and untimely death in northeast Sherman County will be out in late July or early August of 1999.  The title has been changed to: "A Dispatch to Custer, The Kidder Tragedy." 

The Historical Society is in touch with both the author and the publisher in an attempt to determine when Goodland will be able to host a Book Signing and a chance to meet the author.  A tentative time has been discussed to have the event coincide with the Flatlander Fall Festival.