Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2024 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Lewiston Evening Journal Thursday, 1 May 1884 PRESQUE ISLE IS GONE The Business Part of the Town Swept Away by Fire Twenty Buildings and More Burned Only Two Stores Left Standing - Gloom in the Town [Special to the Lewiston Journal] Presque Isle, May 1st Nearly the whole of the business part of the village of Presque Isle is a mass of ruins. About three o'clock Thursday morning fire broke out in the office of Johnson & Phair, the leading business and manufacturing firm of Aroostook county. Their office is in the back part of a large store in which was a stock of general merchandise valued at $20,000. The store was in the most thickly settled portion of the village, and as people had not suitable means for fighting the flames, they spread with great rapidity. Every store in town but two were burned. The Presque Isle hotel, several law of- fices and residences - in all twenty buildings, are a total loss. Large quantities of goods were saved. The scenes about the ruined village are pitiful. Every- body is discouraged. Many are in tears. Before the fire Presque Isla had enjoyed uninterrupted prosperity, hav- ing nearly trebled its population in the last twenty years. Now, however, nobody seems to have any hope for Presque Isle. This feeling of gloom probably will pass away in a few days, and Presque Isle will begin the race over again with renewed courage. Messrs. Johnson and Phair are very enterprising men, and will not allow this disaster to check their extensive operations in starch and lumber. All of one side of Main street, from Ryan's store to the postoffice, and all of Bridge street from Main street to Robinson's jewelry store were destroyed. The several mills, a little distance away on the Aroostook river, were saved. The store of Johnson & Phair and the Presque Isle Hotel were very large buildings. So much confusion prevails at this moment that it is impossible to make a perfect report. Full details will be sent later. LATER The total number of buildings burned was 24. The hotel and stables were worth $16,000. Although the post-office was burned, its contents were saved. Twelve large stocks of dry goods, groceries and hard- ware were consumed or largely damaged. The whole loss is not less than $125,000; insurance about $50,000. ANOTHER DISPATCH The fire originated in the counting room of Johnson & Phair, in the large building corner of Main and Fort Fairfield streets. The building was occupied by S. T. Monson, with a large stock of general merchandise. The office was soon involved in flames that soon reached the store, giving time for removing only about half the stock. The building was three stories high, and was soon a mass of flames. The next building south, fifteen feet distant, occupied by Cook & Clark, gro- ceries, and N. Gammon, harness-maker, was soon in flames. The Presque Isle Hotel, distant 28 feet, on the east side of Main street, was next on fire. It was 80 feet in length, three stories high with a long ell extending back to the stable. These were all consumed and an opening of some 100 feet in width stopped the fire in this direction. In the meantime the fire took the other side of Main street on the corner of Bridge street. The apothecary store of Wm. H. Ryan was soon burned. The fire extending south from the Ryan store on the west side of Main St., burned out G. R. Nutall, grocer, an unoccupied store belonging to Edw. Madigan of Houl- ton; Amasa Howe, books and stationary; Geo. H. Freeman & Co., stoves and hardware; C. G. Perry, dry goods, boots, shoes and clothing; Barton & Co., grocers and provisions; T. N. Ervin, groceries, crockery, glass ware; Pipes & Whitcomb, dry goods and millinery; C. P. Allen, law office, and real estate; L. S. Judd, dry goods, boots & shoes and the Post-office, G. M. Luce, post-master, who had also a large stock of fancy goods. The second story of many of these buildings were occu- pied by lawyers, barbers, shoe-makers, physicians and dentists. All these buildings were swept out in a very short space of time with contents which could not be removed. From the Ryan store, the fire extended West on Bridge street burning N. Perry & Co's store, with a large stock of dry goods, clothing and boots and shoes; Goodhue & Lane's furniture, paints, and paper hangings; F. G. Whitney, barber and groceries, Harvest Robbins and J. M. Miller, fruit and confectionery. The buildings also were occupied in the second story as residences. Nearly all the buildings were large and valuable and were filled with unusually large stocks of merchandise. The total loss cannot be less than $120,000 insurance about $50,000. ===========================================================================