Fargo Fire of June 7, 1893

Fargo Fire of June 7, 1893. . On this site, the afternoon of June 7, 1893, began what would later become known as The Great Fargo Fire. Originating at Herzman's Dry Goods Store, the fire spread its destruction north, east, and west from this location until it had consumed 31 blocks in the heart of the city. Aided by winds reaching 30 miles per hour, in less than five hours the conflagration had exhausted itself, and 160 acres of the proud, prosperous city of 12,000 souls lay in ruin. Witnesses told of seeing as many as 200 buildings burning simultaneously during the disaster., The three existing Fargo volunteer fire companies charged with protecting the city lost both their fire stations, as well as much of their equipment. The comfortable quarters of the 30 members of the Yerxa Hose Company No. 3 was located on Northern Pacific Avenue and Roberts Street. Directly across Main Avenue, then Front Street, from this site stood the station housing the horses and equipment of the 30-man Continental Hose Company No. 1 and the 30 Rescue Hook and Ladder No. 2 volunteers. This station became one of the early victims of the fire. The driver of the Continental Hose had been requested to sprinkle the dusty streets, and 2:15 this afternoon found him with his horses hitched to the city street sprinkler wagon in the vicinity of Broadway and the Great Northern tracks. Alerted to the fire, he unhooked the horses and raced back to the station across from Herzman's store and hooked the horses to the hose wagon. The Yerxa Company and Rescue Hook and Ladder firefighters also answered the call, but their heroic efforts all proved futile. The fire quickly reached the uncontrollable stage. Volunteer companies from Moorhead, Minnesota, quickly came to Fargo's aid, as well as units from the North Dakota cities of Casselton, Grand Forks, and Wahpeton. All their noble efforts could not stop the fiery monster. One of Fargo's fire laddies, as the firefighters were affectionately referred to, lost his life when W. H. Johnson of the Rescue Hook and Ladder succumbed to burns the following day., By 7:00 p.m. the fire had completed its reign of destruction and burned itself out. Fargo's main business district lay in complete ruin, a loss estimated between three and five million dollars. Six and one-half miles of wooden sidewalk were destroyed, 150 miles of telephone wires, three miles of poles, and most of the the city records. Many family dwellings were burned to the ground, as well as countless businesses, many housed in modern, three-story, brick buildings., Ultimately, the disastrous fire had a "silver lining," in that rubble from the destroyed buildings was used to fill low-lying land along Roberts Street that had bounded the growth of downtown. Building codes were enacted and enforced for the building boom that followed. In a year's time 246 new buildings were constructed. Fargo's population doubled in just eight years, tripling overall commercial activity., In 1903, the dedicated, brave men of the volunteer companies were disbanded in favor of full-time, paid firefighters. Today's members of the Fargo Fire Department still carry on the tradition of the brave volunteers of the early, formidable years of Fargo., Several published accounts and photo essays of the Great Fargo Fire of 1893 are available from local libraries., Dedicated to past, present, and future firefighters of Fargo, North Dakota , and to the vision of Fargo's founders on the centennial anniversary of the Great Fargo Fire June 7, 1893 - June 7, 1993, Contributors: , Fargo Firefighters Local 642 , Community First National Bank of Fargo , City of Fargo and Board of City Commissioners , Old Broadway , Warren Ackley , Randy Thorson , Holiday Inn of Fargo , Vernon and Delaine Petry , Baker Insurance , Fargo Fire Department , Fargo Park Board , Fargo Heritage Society , Fargo Moorhead Association of Independent Insurance Agents