Cloverport History 1901-1922

Cloverport History 1901-1922. . , On the night of March 13, 1901, fire broke out in a private home on Main Street, located today about three blocks west of the bridge. Strong northwest winds fanned the flames. When a tobacco warehouse, located where the Baptist Church stands today, caught fire it burned quickly. From there a burning hands of tobacco carried the flames to the Methodist Church. The fire crossed the creek and continued another two blocks. When the fire was out, 5 1/2 blocks of Main Street down to the river were gone. In all, forty-six residences and thirty-eight businesses were totally lost with 500 people left homeless. Dr. Forrest Lightfoot when returning from a sick call had sounded the first alarm. , Cloverport overcame the fire, rebuilding one and two story buildings instead of the grander three story buildings that stood before. The town continued on several more years. In 1922, the present bridge replaced the old iron bridge and had the distinction of being the longest single spanned bridge in the country.