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Jarvis-Quigley Fire
1864
1863
11 05 NEW GROCERY
[advertisement] J. D. Jarvis has opened
a new stock of groceries in the store recently occupied by Amos Baum, just west
of the Bank of Watertown. He keeps
constantly on hand a whole variety of the best quality of goods in his line,
which are always fresh.
The highest price will be paid for
country produce, such as butter, eggs, poultry, etc., and such things taken in
exchange for groceries. WD
1864
Watertown
Democrat,
03 10 1864
Last Monday morning, between 6 and 7
o’clock, a fire broke out in the wooden Jarvis-Quigley building on Main Street,
located between the Democrat block and the Bank of Watertown block, and
occupied by J. D. Jarvis as a grocery store.
The flames spread rapidly and in a few
minutes extended to an adjoining building, occupied by M. Quigley as a cabinet
ware room, and quickly consumed them both.
Fortunately there was no wind and the
efforts of our citizens were successful in preventing the conflagration from
causing greater damage. The western wall
and cornice of the Bank Block were injured by the intense heat, as were those
of the block occupied by the Democrat
office and Wm. C. Fountain. The stock in
Mr. Fountain’s drug store was put in readiness in case of necessity, and F. P.
Brook deemed it prudent to remove most of the contents of his fruit and
confectionary store. One of the
buildings burned was owned by L. R. Cady and the other by W. H. Hunt & Co.,
of Chicago.
Mr. Quigley had no insurance and loses
about $150 worth of lumber, having succeeded in saving most of his
furniture. Mr. S. G. Roper also lost 150
bushels of oats, stored in Mr. Jarvis’ store.
It was believed that the fire was
caused by the falling of a stove pipe as Mr. Jarvis had been to his store and
kindled a fire in the stove and then returned home to his breakfast, as he had
been in the habit of doing.
Engine Company No. 1, or what there was
of it, was promptly on the scene, but experienced some difficulty connected
with the engine that was not discovered and remedied until after the fire was
underway; it could not render much aid, though every effort was made by the
firemen to make the machine useful.
Two small force pumps were hurriedly
brought to the scene from the nearby breweries, one belonging to Mr. Fuermann and the other to Mr. Bursinger,
and these helped to keep the fire from spreading to the stables in the rear of
the business establishments. It is
believed that these pumps were part of the fire-fighting apparatus owned and
maintained by the breweries themselves.
The fire of last Monday proved how
perfectly helpless we are when any emergency comes that requires the best
exertions of a well-organized Fire Company.
We attach no blame to the present neglected and unreasonably abused
company for this state of affairs, for the censure properly belongs to the mass
of our citizens . . . for its size the engine we have is a powerful one and,
when adequately manned and worked, is capable of doing good service . . .
An investigation should be made to
ascertain what is needed to fit up and equip the engine and it should be put
and kept in the best working order, ready at a moment’s notice. Grumbling at those who have had the
management of it, and who have tried to serve the community heretofore, will
not improve our prospect of making the engine what it should be. The way to do that is to fill up the old
company or form a new one, and treat its members with the liberality and
consideration that will be some evidence that their public spirit and efforts
are properly appreciated.
Watertown Democrat, 03 10 1864
We tender our thanks to Messrs. Lindley
and Moak of the Republican
and to the many other kind friends who displayed such a readiness to assist us
during the late fire, which came very near burning our office. The smoke and confusion caused by the event
has not improved the appearance of things around us, but has occasioned some
little delay and trouble. We shall soon
be right again and “on time.”
History of Watertown, Wisconsin