CabinThe Franklin Fire of 1925

Over the years, there have been a few fires in Franklin, but none as bad as the Great Franklin fire of 1925

Franklin's worst fire

The Great Franklin Fire of 1925
 The following is quoted from A History of Franklin, 1789 - 1989

When asked if I remembered the Franklin fire, I answered, “'I'll never forget it.”” However, I find I'm hazy on some points; time has a way of erasing things. As to the exact day, it was July 1925 and I think, the fifteenth. 

Harry Coburn was on duty in the Customs Office, then located in the northeast corner of the library building.  About midnight he noticed the fire in the Farmers’ Exchange Store. He aroused someone who rang the bell on St. Mary’s Church. This was the first we heard. We rushed out onto the lawn and Arthur immediately sensed how serious it could be. He told me to start drawing water, fill every available container, get our clothes together, and stay with Wayne, who was just past three years old, while he dressed and rushed away to help.

Soon men were calling for water to wet down our roof.  The wind came up and carried the sparks our way.  I carried pail after pail upstairs and hoisted it through a door on the roof.

The fire truck came from St. Albans. It was a new truck and the firemen were afraid to draw water from the brook for fear of picking up stones. Milk trucks drew water from

the lake and emptied it into the truck but this was not very efficient. The firemen rendered noble service, however, in other ways.

About daybreak Arthur called for me to get Wayne and get out; never mind anything else. T found helping hands had practically cleaned out the rooms downstairs. I think it was Raymond Streeter who helped me push my piano onto the porch.  Practically all the furniture was moved across the street near the Powell Co. Store. I remember Mrs. Towle remarking she wondered how long it would be safe there. Sparks fell on nearly everything. My piano has several scars, and I still have a leather chair that shows the burns received that night.

By this time everyone was tired and people began to scatter to look after their own valuables; it looked as though the whole street might go.

I had two large fiber rugs. The men took these, along with several quilts, and nailed them on the south end of Dr. Merriam’s house, and kept them soaked down.

The north wall of our house, which was built of brick, held and the fire stopped there. Had it been a frame house, no telling what would have happened. The houses on that side of the street were all frame houses, close together.

The Chadwick home, Homer Titemore’s house, the store, the hotel, a small tailor shop, Myron Titemore’s house with the adjoining shop, and our house and garage were wiped out.

We lost many things, valuable to us for sentimental reasons. My wedding clothes, all our books, some furniture, winter clothing and everything in the cellar and storeroom.  For years afterwards we would ask each other what ever became of something, only to recall it must have burned.

It was our first home and I remember tears were shed.  One friend said she broke down and cried when she saw our flower box fall.  My father and mother came and took Wayne home for the day. Later, they found Wayne sobbing on the couch and when questioned, he sobbed, “My home is all gone.”  Mother said they had a good cry together.

It could have been so much worse. No one was killed or badly injured; there were some bad burns and someone took a bad fall from a roof.  We were more fortunate than many in this disaster.  Arthur’s father opened his home to us and we moved in with him. Mrs. Rhett Gates had packed my good dishes; only one sherbet glass was broken and that was done in unpacking. After taking inventory, we felt we had been very lucky indeed.

Driving through the village today, it's hard to remember how dreadful it looked after the fire. The hotel, tailor’s shop and Chadwick’s house were never rebuilt, but the space has been filled with homes, a filling station and garage. Benjamin’s garage is on the site of our home. Myron Titemore rebuilt on his site. The building is now owned by Charles Mullen.  Dick Wright’s filling station is on the site of the old hotel and tailor’s shop.  Rhett Gates rebuilt the store, now known as Desorcie’s; Homer Titemore rebuilt and that property is now owned by Mrs. Richard who operates the beauty salon. The Chadwick home was the next south and now you can see

the foundations just across from the library.

Several have asked what the hotel looked like. I remember a large frame building with a veranda across the front. It was popular with travelers because of its good food and good beds. Until Wright's filling station was built about fifteen years ago there was evidence of the fire. Today the scars are gone. Not all villages come through a disaster so well.

Ethelyn Mullen

1959

See Fire photos HERE: