Remembering 1947 Farmington Forest Fire
Several clippings of separate articles and photos, from October of 1997, reporting on the October 1947 Farmington forest fire, with personal accounts and details about the fire from those who remember it. Some articles are full paper sheets, others are smaller clippings.
FHS-RKL
Writers: John Nolan, Joshua Studley, Brian Hannon
Photographers: Mark Bolton, Brian Hannon, Rochester Historical Society, Sam Seavey
The Rochester Times, Fosters Daily Democrat
1918 Farmington News Articles J.F. Cloutman Cloutman Shoe Company Fire & J.F. Cloutman Buys Curtis Factory
A 1918 Farmington News article exclusives discussing a vast fire at the Cloutman Shoe Company, putting 228 people out of work. It was billed as the biggest industrial fire Farmington had experienced. A second article in the same edition announces that Cloutman will buy the Curtis Factory. Both are from page 2 of the Farmington News published on Friday, February 22nd, 1918.
This item is a digital file and it does not exist in the physical museum collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
PLEASE NOTE: This resource was created during the 19th or 20th century. It has biases stemming from those periods.
Farmington News
Farmington News
1918
Article-Star Diner Demolished In Car Crash -1969 Farmington News
A Farmington News article, page 1, from the May 29th 1969 issue covering the car crash which demolished the Star Diner on South Main Street. Kiki and Nick Morris were the owners of the diner and the driver that caused the crash was Michael J. Kelley.
This is a digital file and does not exist in the physical museum collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
PLEASE NOTE: This resource was created during the 19th or 20th century. It has biases stemming from those periods.
Farmington News
Farmington News
1969
B&M Train Carrying Bernardi Carnival Wrecks In Farmington
Negative : glass, black & white of Boston & Maine train carrying Bernardi Carnival that wrecked in Farmington NH on July 22, 1922. 6 people were killed and many more injured.
This is a digital file and does not exist in the physical museum collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer)
Boston Public Library Leslie Jones Collection
1922
Boston Public Library Leslie Jones Collection
www.lesliejonesphotography.com/collection
www.bpl.org
Train Wreck Kills -1928 Farmington News Article
Farmington News article Boston & Maine detailing the wreck of the train carrying the Bernardi Carnival. The train wreck killed six and injured more. Farmington News page 2, July 27, 1928.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Farmington News
Farmington News
1928
1892 Account 1875 Fire Farmington News, Page3, 1892
An 1892 account of the great 1875 fire on Central Street in Farmington, as presented in the Farmington News, Page3, February 12, 1892. The fire was swift and burned down many notable building including the Elm House hotel, the Thurston factory, Nat Roberts house, the J. F. Clesley house, and the First Congregational Church. Many, many other homes and businesses sustained damage.
This is a digital file and does not exist in the physical museum collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Farmington News
Farmington News
1892
1898 Account Central Street Fire 1875 Farmington News Page4
A 1898 account of the Central Street Fire in 1875 from the Farmington News, Page 4, May 20th 1898. The fire was swift and burned down many notable buildings including the Elm House hotel, the Thurston factory, Nat Roberts house, the J. F. Clesley house, and the First Congregational Church. Many, many other homes and businesses sustained damage.
This is a digital file and does not exist in the physical museum collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Farmington News
Farmington News
1898
Farmington Opera House Burns- 1928 Farmington News Page1
A Farmington News article covering the February 10, 1928 fire that effectively burned the Farmington Opera House to the ground. The library and town offices, along with most books, artifacts, and town records, perished in the fire. Farmington News Page 1, February 17th 1928.
This is a digital file and does not exist in the physical museum collection.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Farmington News
Farmington News
1928
Cloutman Shoe Factory Burns Farmington News, Page2, 1918-02-22
A farmington news article covering the fire at the Cloutman Shoe Factory in Farmington NH. Page2, 1918-02-22<br /><br />The article reads:<br /><br /><em>Cloutman Shoe Factory Burns<br />Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight People<br />Temporarily Out of Employment<br />The Biggest Industrial Fire Farmlngton Has Ever Experienced<br />CONCERN TO RESUME BUSINESS IN FARMINGTON<br /><br />The most damaging conflagration that<br />ever visited Farmlngton, reduced to<br />ruins the J. F. Cloutman Shoe Co's big<br />factory wbich occupied tbe site at the<br />junction of Maln, Garfield and Elm streets,<br />last Thursday nlgbt. In less than two<br />hours over a $300,000 loss had been incurred<br />to Messrs. Brown & Daley, owners<br />ot the plant, and although tbe property<br />was insured a big unprotected loss was<br />sustained, the figures of which have not<br />been set. Two hundred and twentyseven<br />hands were temporarily thrown<br />out of employment by tbe raging element,<br />but before the last timbers of the<br />factory fell word went abroad that the<br />structure and Industry would be replaced<br />with all possible speed. Before<br />ten o'clock tbe following morning, plans<br />were being formulated to start the business<br />in temporary quarters while the<br />new shop was being built and equipped<br />for occupancy. A new office of tbe<br />concern was organized in the rooms of<br />the farmington National and Savings<br />Banks and by noon of the following day<br />those out of employment were reassured<br />by the dispatch with which tbe emergency<br />was being handled. The fire<br />which destroyed tbe plant doomed the<br />property even before it was discovered<br />Members of the firm and office force<br />were at work io the office, a one story<br />structure, adjoining tbe sole leather and<br />packing departments, on tbe Main street<br />side, and were unaware of tbe presence<br />of the fire until about 9: 35 when some<br />ladles who occupy rooms in the Frank<br />McDuffee house, directly across the way,<br />noticed a lurid illumination through tbe<br />windows ot the factory and hastened to<br />apprise those in tbe office of the danger.<br />Michael Mack attempted to gain<br />entrance to tbe factory through a door<br />that connected with tbe sole leather<br />room and was driven back by tbe intense<br />smoke and blaze and it was at once seen<br />that it would be impossible to get inside<br />to operate the hose from tbe standpipe.<br />Therefore, a general alarm immediately<br />was sounded from box 45, corner Main<br />and Garfield streets. Moving pictures<br />and other places of amasement were<br />quickly emptied of their patrons and a<br />crowd of spectators were on hand before<br />tbe firemen reached the scene. However,<br />they arrived promptly and under the<br />direction of tbe fire chief, Gyros York,<br />streams ot water soon were turned on<br />the fire which then was ravaging the<br />main structure sections of the two lower<br />stories. Soon, eight lines of hose were<br />playing on the blazs but seemed to have<br />little effect as it was impossible for the<br />firemen to get inside owing to tbe intense<br />heat and smoke and danger from<br />falling machinery which by that time<br />was crashing through the burning floors.<br />Scorching flames burst from the windows<br />ana roof and in spite of the warm<br />and windless night, moving currents of<br />air sucked in through the seething structure<br />and sent tbe flames and sparks<br />mounting several hundred feet in the air<br />until the heat and falling cinders became<br />a menace to buildings within a wide area<br />and a constant watch was kept by citizens<br />and the boy scouts, while details of<br />firemen turned their attention to nearby<br />houses that were in imminent danger.<br /><br />Lines of hose played constantly on the<br />house owned by K. T. Willson and occupied<br />by Dr. Huntress, the garage at the<br />rear occupied by J E. Ricker, the J . F.<br />Cloutman house on Garfield street and<br />tbe McDuffee and W • Uley residences<br />on Main street. The McDuffee place being<br />nearest and in tbe greatest danger<br />suffered tbe worst, the paint being blistered<br />and some water damage sustained.<br />Here tbe boy scouts proved their value<br />as a heroic organization by removing the<br />furniture from the house and the live<br />stock from the stable.<br /><br />The illumination from tbe great blaze<br />lighted tbe sky for miles around and was<br />watched from points of vantage in surrounding<br />towns and cities from whence<br />came insistent calls for reports of news.<br />Tbe telephone line connecting this village<br />with Milton was early put out of<br />commission by tbe cable being burned<br />and wire broken, and much more damage<br />would have been done to the local<br />system bad it not been for the efficient<br />work ot the boy scouts, who, working in<br />well organized patrols, really commanded<br />the situation as regards the telephone<br />system. During tbe most exciting moments<br />ot tbe fire bugle blasts could be<br />heard calling tbe scouts to points where<br />their services were most needed,and too<br />much credit cannot be acoorded the boys<br />for what they accomplished and the cool<br />manner in which they did it. Not until<br />after midnight did tbe crowd begin to<br />diminish. It was an all ntght vigil for<br />the firemen who watcbed tbe flaming<br />mass of burning timbers and debris until<br />daylight. One feature of importance<br />and help in fighting the fire was tbe fact<br />that tbe reservoir was full and good water<br />pressure was available.<br /><br />The original structure of tbe plant destroyed<br />was built in 1873 by John<br />M. Berry and Daniel W. Kimball, both<br />prominent shoe manufacturers of the<br />town at that time. The old shop was a<br />four story building 72x30 feet and faced<br />on Garfield street. Here for a period of<br />years tbe owners did business under tbe<br />firm name of Berry & Kimball. Later,<br />Mr. Berry took over by purchase his<br />partner's interest and manufactured<br />shoes until 1800 when John F. Cloutman<br />Sr., bought tbe shop. During Mr. Clout<br />man's ownership a small addition was<br />built on Main street. At the death of<br />Mr. Cloutman, in December, 1905, his<br />only son, Jobn F. Clontman, Jr., succeeded<br />to the business which he carried<br />on with remarkable success until In May,<br />1917, he sold out to Joseph E. Daley and<br />Elmer J . Brown who incorporated tbe<br />business under tbe name of the J. F.<br />Clontman Shoe Co. During tbe younger<br />Mr. Cloutman's ownership three addi<br />tions were pnt on, two on Main street<br />extending the plant to Elm, and one on<br />Garfield street. During the present ad<br />ministration an addition was built on<br />Garfield,making tbe entire plant contain<br />50,000 square feet of floor space, with a<br />manufacturing capacity ot 250 dozen<br />shoes a day. The pay roll of the concern<br />when doing this amonnt of business<br />was $4,000 weekly,so that the temporary<br />loss of the industry to the town can be<br />estimated at a large sum.</em><br /><br /><br />This is a digital file and does not exist in the physical museum collection.<br /><br />FHS- Kyle Leach
Farmington News
Farmington News
2-22-1918