Cordelia and the Fire

Cordelia and the Fire. . In the 1920s, prohibition ended wine production, eliminating one of the most profitable businesses in the Cordelia area. But the town was dealt its worst blow in 1939, when a fire that began in the back of Glashoffs Meat Market burned down much of Cordelia, including the railroad depot. After the fire, the Southern Pacific Railroad chose not to rebuild the depot, and most of the other buildings that were destroyed were also not replaced. This key transportation route helped sustain the town for another decade and a half. However, in 1954 Route 40 (now Interstate 80) was realigned, bypassing Cordelia. As a result, Cordelia never regained its earlier economic prosperity.

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Cordelia Firehouse

Ia 1919, C.J. Lockefeer bought the livery stable located at the corner of Cordelia Road and Ritchie Road and converted it into a garage (below left). It wasn't long before he sold enough Red Crown gasoline to replace it with a new shop where he sold and repaired Model T Fords. Lockefeer fell on hard times and closed the shop; soon afterwards the building became the Cordelia Firehouse (below right). In 1932, the Cordelia Fire Department joined the Cordelia Fire Protection District which had been established in 1918 to serve the communities of Cordelia, Green Valley, Rockville, and Lower Suisun Valley. The firehouse was one of the structures that survived the fire of 1939.

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In 1917, Constantine Joseph "Scoops" Lockefeer came to Solano County to work on its first his garage in Cordelia a few years later. Lockefeer helped the Cordelia Fire Department to acquire its first fire truck, consisting of a 100 gallon water tank, two 40 gallon soda acid extinguishers, and a hose reel, mounted on a chassis from the Reo Truck Company.

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Siebe's General Store

Built prior to 1875. Peter Siebe and Company General Merchandise store was the first general store in western Solano County. It was one of the many buildings lost in the 1939 fire. An identical neighboring structure housed the post office, library and barber shop. Owner Peter Siebe Sr., standing on the left, served on the Solano County Board of Supervisors from 1887 to 1895. Photo ca. 1900.

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Cordelia Road looking east from here. From left to right: Henry Dunker's House, Cordelia Meat Market with Glashoffs Dance Hall on the second floor, post office building with library and barber shop, and Siebe's General Store. On the opposite side of the road is the railroad depot and platform. Photo ca. 1900.