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It was a sultry Saturday evening, July 24, 1937. The blaze started about 9:15 p. m. in the rear of the Public Market grocery from an undetermined origin, and quickly ate the half block of frame buildings located in the very heart of the business district.
In the third of my mother's scrapbooks from the 1930's is a clipping from July 25, 1937:$100,000 BLAZE HITS DAM TOWN
By Associated Press.
GRAND COULEE, Wash., July 25.-- Six Grand Coulee business men surveyed a block of ruins today, and estimated their loss from a fire lastnight would amount to more than $100,000.
The flames which started in a corner grocery store late yesterday, threatened the entire business district for more than four hours as they raced down the block of buildings before a high wind.
Fire Chief Archie Elliott said the only thing that saved the town was the perfect water supply. Even with streams of water constantly wetting them, buildings across the street were scorched and a number of windows were broken by the heat. The block was on B street, one of the first in the original townsite, and was in the center of the business district.
The buildings which burned housed the Kozy Korner restaurant, the Hub Clothing company, Ross department store, public market, Stone's Market and the Grand Coulee News office and plant.
Chief Elliott said that two firemen and one woman reported hurt were only slightly injured and did not need hospital treatment.
The next article I clipped from the Spokane Daily Chronicle, Monday, July 26, 1937, page 3. Transcript follows.
JUST ONE PUFF AND ALL ABLAZE
GRAND COULEE, July 26—(Special.)—"Sure, well publish this week," said Sidney Jackson, owner of the Grand Coulee News today after his shop and seven other business houses on B street were completely destroyed Saturday night in the dam site's most disastrous fire. Other losers have not yet decided upon rebuilding.
Damages are estimated at $l00,000 and it was only a sudden change of a stiff wind that kept the loss from mounting to double that sum or more. The blaze started about 9:15 p. m. in the rear of the Public Market grocery from an undetermined origin, and quickly ate the half block of frame buildings located in the very heart of the business district.
A high wind brought on bv the sultry weather swept the flames halfway across B street. "Gobs of fire, said A. D. Roberts, chamber of commerce president, a witness, "seemed to leave the main body of flames and bounce up against the buildings on the other side of the street.
Merchants began franticallv moving out their goods as windows cracked from the heat. Paint blistered on the buildings. Fires started in one or two places, quickly to be put out by the volunteer fire fighters.
Flaming Brands Afloat.
Small fires were started two to five blocks away as ihe high wind fanned the flames and sent pieces of burning material floating through the air.
The fire struck quickly. "It just gave a puff and everything was afire," one man said. Two cars, one a new expensive one, could not be moved and were destroyed.
The fire consumed the Hub Clothing store, the "Kozy Korner" restaurant, which was enlarged last week, the Grand Coulee News, the "Stop and Shop grocery, the Public Market, Stone's Market, Ross' store and a beauty shop on the second floor, The Silver Dollar, Leader dry goods store, Pioneer bar were also damaged, mostly to building fronts and display windows.
It was unofficially stated that only about one-third of the actual loss was covered by insurance. It was the second time in two years' for Editor Jackson lo be burned out. The first badly scorched his building and cats in a parking lot. He plans to print for a time from Almira and Coulee City shops.
Archie Elliott, fire chief, said there was plenty of water and sufficient pressure to fight the blaze. Grand Coulee's announced water shortage apparently prevented the early control of ihe fire.
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| Night Life on B Street (date unknown) |
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