THE GREAT HISTORIC FIRES OF 1800S OSWEGO
{When everything was made of wood}
Disasters in Oswego County Fire!
– Village & City On July 30, 1850, a disastrous fire destroyed $90,000 worth of property. It broke out in a large building at the east end of the bridge on the north side of Bridge Street, burned that and crossed Bridge street and burned the block between the river and First street, with about one-third of the wooden bridge. The next great fire was in 1853 (July 5), which swept away a large part of the business part on the east side. The fire started in H. Fitzhugh’s flouring mill and all the mills and elevators on that side were destroyed. The loss to that firm was $20,000; to Sylvester Doolittle, mill and stock, $45,000; Ames & Brothers, elevator, $20,000; Howlett, Gardner & Co., in the basement of the Ames structure, provisions, $15,000; H.M. Ames, plaster mill and two stores, $10,000; Pcnfield, Lyon & Co., flouring mill, $40,000; Truman, Lyman, flouring mill, loss not given; J.H. Hall & Co., elevator, $28,000; Fitzhugh & Littlejohn, warehouse, loss not stated; Talcott & Canfield, foundry (employed seventy men) and other business property, covering most of the second ward. The burnt district extended along the river north of Bridge street as far as Seneca street, and east to Fourth street. A relief committee was promptly organized on the day of the fire with Luther Wright, treasurer; and another similar one was subsequently formed by the women of the city. Fire continued its destructive work in the city, burning on the 13th of August 1858, the Empire elevator (built in 1854), with 60,000 bushels of grain owned by F.T. Carrington and P. Rath bun; and on August 17, the Ontario elevator was destroyed with 135,000 bushels of grain, mostly wheat, causing a loss of $120,000. The Canadian schooner Mary was burned at the same time. The elevator was the property of F.T. Carrington. One of the most disastrous fires that has ever visited this city occurred on May 20, 1892, sweeping away six large mills and elevators and causing a loss of about $300,000. The property destroyed comprised the Washington Mills, the Columbia Mills and elevator; the Merchants’ Elevator, owned by W.D. Smith’s estate and W.D. Matthews; the Corn Exchange Elevator, owned by Gay lord, Downey & Co.; the Marine Elevator, owned by the Oswego Starch Factory; and the Continental Elevator, The character of the buildings consumed in this fire, the immense timbers and other woodwork of which they were constructed, and their dry condition, after having stood many years, rendered the conflageration one of the most impressive and destructive ever seen in the city. None of this burned district has yet been rebuilt. The Niagara House burned August 30, 1859, while in the possession of a Mr. Grant, and he built on the site the block yet known by his name. The United States Hotel burned December 22, 1841, but rebuilt soon after, and the site is now covered by the Normal School buildings. The old Eagle Tavern, which stood on the site of the present Hamilton House burned in 1853 and the present house was erected in 1855. On January 22,1878, the Ontario Mill, erected by Abram Varick in 1834, burned, entailing a loss of $55,000. The flouring mills of Henry Fitzhugh and of Bronson & Morgan were destroyed by the fire in 1835, along with about twenty other large buildings, but the incident was scarcely noticed amid the tide of prosperity which marked this period in Oswego. On the 24th of October, 1837, fire consumed the furnace of Carrington & Carrier and the machine shop of J. Parline, both situated on the Varick Canal, and the stone flouring mill of ? Gilbert. The loss was about $32,000. The great milling firm of Penfield, Lyon & Co., built a mill in 1842 which was burned in 1853, and immediately rebuilt by the same firm, becoming the Washington Mills and Elevator. It was burned in 1892. The Skenandoah Mills built in 1845 by James W. Cockrane burned August 21, 1888. The Seneca Mills, built in 1847-8 by Moses Merick & Co., at Seneca Hill, four miles south of Oswego, the largest in the United States at that day, burned in 1864. In 1860 the mill which had been rebuilt on the site of the Columbia Mill (burned 1853) came into the possession of Moses Merick and Jesse Hoyt. It was burned in 1892 and not rebuilt. In 1843-4 Sylvester Doolitle erected the Empire Mills and Elevator, which were burned in 1852 and immediately rebuilt by him. In 1864 they were sold to Jenkins and Doolittle and in 1874 to Benjamin Doolittle. The mill was burned and rebuilt by Mr. Doolittle with a reduced capacity. The Vulcan Iron Works, founded in 1848 by William Smith and John King burned on January 1,1895, and have not been rebuilt. The Ames plaster mill, which was in operation as early as 1842, burned with other property on November 29 of that year. The Merchants’ Elevator, built in 1853 by Benjamin Hagaman and burned in that year. J.H. & William H. Goit commenced in 1852 a planing mill business was destoryed by fire in 1853. In 1862 the Maxine and the Corn Exchange Elevators were erected. It eventually became the property of the Oswego Starch Factory and burned in 1892. It has not been rebuilt. The Corn Exchange Elevator was built by Henry A. Ames. It subsequently passed to A.F. Smith & Co., and later to C.C. Morton. It was burned in 1892. In 1862 the Oswego planing mill was started on the corner of East Utica and First streets by O.M. and L.S. Blanchard and W.P. Grannis. It developed into a large establishment, employing seventy-five men, and consuming 2,000,000 feet of lumber annually. It was burned about 1880. It 1864 the Northwestern Elevator was built by Irwin and Sloan. It was destroyed by fire in 1867 but immediately rebuilt. The Oswego City Mills were built in 1872, and operated for one year by M.B. Place & Co., when they passed into the hands of Wilson, Stewart & Place. It burned April 8, 1881. On September 15, 1881, a very disastrous fire swept over the west side lumber district, Fulton Elks Youth Week Program – Sat., May 6th at Recreation Park Will Sponsor A Drawing For 10 Bicycles Tickets Will NOT Be Distributed To The Schools Register For Bike Drawing at Recreation Park Saturday, May 6th 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. You Must Be Present To Win entailing a loss of over $200,000. Sixteen houses were destroyed besides much other property. A sad event took place in 1811 in the burning of the log dwelling of Capt. Samuel B. Morrow, which stood near “Baldwin’s Bay” at a point now within the city limits. The captain was absent on his vessel when his house caught fire and his three children perished in the flames. As far as records show this was the first considerable fire in Oswego. On the first of October, 1830, occurred a destructive fire which burned all the buildings on the west side of West First street from Cayuga and Seneca street, along Seneca to the corner of Second street. This was then the heart of the village and almost all of the prominent business men were losers. The district was rebuilt, however, and with a better class of structures. ALL ABO
