Williamson's July 4,19I0 Fire (Parti of 3) 1910 Was a Memorable Year

THE SUN & RECORD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1,2005 J

Williamson's July 4,19I0 Fire (Parti of 3) 1910 was a memorable year. A The Sodus Record for July bandstand at the Four Corners 1, 1910, had described the was the site for concerts by local events planned for the day. bands and orchestras. Spectators "There will be hotly con could enjoy performances from tested games of ball at 10 in the porch of the Williamson Ho the morning and at 4 in the tel located a few paces away. Plays afternoon. At 11 a.m. there were held in Pound's Hall (the will be the finest street pa space above today's Williamson rade ever seen in town Hardware) and in Pultneyville's headed by the Boy's Military Gates Hall. The horse was still Band. This will be followed ascendant but autos were making by a large float carrying 40 their presence felt. William young ladies who will sing Howard Taft was President. It patriotic and popular songs, was bulky Taft who began the and this, in turn, by a long line custom of having the President of automobiles handsomely throw out the first baseball on decorated and filled with chil opening day. dren. The Fire Company will also be in line —in uni Congress passed the Mann Act forms—with their fire appa in this year; prohibiting the trans ratus. portation of women across state lines for immoral purposes. Mark iremans' Day Parade; Main Street at Four Corners; looking east. Note the outline of the At 1:30 p.m. the horse Grist Mill and Flour Store (Beehive) north of the roof of the bandstand. Photo courtesy races will begin and they Twain died in 1910. Barney WC Historical Society, from A Gathering of Memories, A Evangelist. Oldfield drove a Benz at promise to be the best ever Daytona...reaching a top speed of 133 m.p.h. Electricity had seen in town..." reached the village a few years earlier, but only a few homes were The largest purse for the day's races was $100. Fireworks were scheduled for the wired in 1910. evening. At 1:00 p.m. the games began at Fireman's Park. The events included a The Fourth of July, 1910, was celebrated with flags and bunting greased pig contest, a greased pole climb (to recover a fifty-cent piece at the top) on Williamson's Main Street. The occasion combined the popu arid a type of jousting event in which horsemen attempted to drive a lance through lar American holiday with the Annual Convention of the Lake a five-inch diameter ring. Some accounts indicate that a few contestants attempted Shore Volunteer Fireman's Association, an organization that was this feat from a moving automobile. initiated in 1904. Later in the afternoon, a baseball game was in progress pitting Williamson against The Association was initially composed of firemen from Will Eastman Kodak. Many firemen had gone home by this time, but a crowd still re iamson, Sodus and Wolcott. They began holding an annual con mained at the ballfield. Sometime between four and five p.m. the fire bell began to vention as soon as they were formed. The group grew steadily. In ring. 1905, Webster joined. In 1907 the ranks were swelled by Red Creek (Continued Next Week.) and Hilton. In 1909, Charlotte and Ontario came aboard. Their practice was to have various communities take turns hosting the Annual convention. In 1910, Williamson played host. Two years earlier, in 1908, local firemen had purchased the "Fireman's Driving Park" on the north side of West Main Street. July 4th, 1910 was a perfect day for the festivities and most homes and businesses along Main Street were decorated with flags, bunting or patriotic signs. Photographers of the day re corded the parade in views that were later made into post cards. (Postage; one penny.) Visitors came in from surrounding com munities on the trolley which ran through town every hour from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m. In 1910 a few automobiles had made their ap- .pearance but they were rare. Most homes were without indoor plumbing, electricity or a steady water supply. For the convenience of townspeople who lacked a private wa ter source, the town maintained a common well located in the southeast corner of the village's Four Corners. In 1910 it was lo cated underneath the town's bandstand. A dipper hung near the well for use by the public. In anticipation or an active day along the dirt road that consti tuted Main Street, firemen connected their hoses and slaked the dust before the crowd arrived. Water was sprinkled liberally from a horse-drawn cart At 10:30 an estimated 20-25,000 people filled Williamson's Main Street to watch the parade of uniformed firemen, bands and equip Main Street. Looking west. Buildings between Beehive (right front) and the brick build ment displays. The parade lasted about an hour and the crowd ing (today's Williamson Hardware) were destroyed. dispersed to various churches, and the Grange Hall for lunch.

In Retrospect From page 3 BarberChair From page 4 Sodus Chamber his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hart of ture story of New York State, from New DeMosky, Thomas Freeman, Lorraine Going Back To School th Pultneyville, after serving three years in York City to Buffalo, depicting the cities Wahl, 7 . From page 2 and beautiful suburban towns. It also Happy Wedding Anniversaries to: the U. S. Armed Forces, twelve months dren from Sodus Central School. Stu of which he spent overseas serving with includes the Finger Lakes section. Richard and Lois English (56 years), rd dents spend a day at the school and of the 17th Airborne Division, which was Sept. 3 ; Robert and Serafina Fillmore, Sept. 4th; Gary and Liz Ekkebus, Bruce ten dress in the clothing of the late 19th attached at various times to the U. S. century. They also write on slate boards, Third and Ninth armies, the British and Dolores Federation, Tom and Jean Minkau (13th), Mr. & Mrs. Richard sit in authentic period desks, and read Army and later to the British Comman th th lessons from years gone by. dos. Echoes of the past Combes (54 ), Sept. 5 ; Kyle and From page 2 Shirley Kephart, Sept. 7lh; Dean and These children from Williamson, So The Fire Companies of Williamson th she has room for. Emberly Matthys (20 ), Thomas and dus, Newark, Fairport, Victor, Ironde- and Pultneyville have accepted the invi nd th The drought conditions in the north Dorothy Jean Wagorn (2 ), Sept. 7 ; quoit and Oswego enjoy the 3 hour pro tation of the Palmyra Fair Association gram each Fall and Spring with several to participate in the parade and com east are beginning to affect the Western and to all celebrating, have a happy New York apple crop. Although lack of day! Send news, anniversaries and retired school teachers from Wayne petitive events on the opening night of County volunteering for this program. the fair, Sept. 6th. Isaac Colwell, William rain will not affect the overall quality of birthdays to me at 12 E. Main St., Apt. the apples, it will result in smaller #3, Sodus, NY 14551. Phone 483-1566. son Fire Chief of 22 years standing, apples. With the apple harvest already states that the Williamson Fire Com underway, the growers are hoping for a pany will be represented in the parade good soaking rain throughout the area. by at least 30 firemen in uniform, Stereo D. Gutzmer headed by a community band composed 5313 Joy Road of Williamson musicians augmented by Marion, NY several members of the Williamson Cen 14505 tral School band under the direction of Roland Orbaker'of Pultneyville. Phone:(315)589-9173 *ax:(315)589-4114 Cell: (585)732-5932 The Williamson Theatre manage • Additions • Decks • Carpentry • Remodeling • Cabinetry • Case Goods ment has booked for the theatre-going public of Wayne.County the Technicolor z^* Repairs • Custom Furniture 'Laminate & Solid Surface Countertops _ B single reel production "Empire State" to IBB * Millwork • Furniture Repair & Restoration • Trim Duplication 1 be screened over three days, starting www.gutzmerwoodworking.com flUN * Sunday. September 2nd. This is a pic THE SUN & RECORD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005

Williamson's July 4,1910 Fire (Part 2 of 3) Williamson's Fire Company Ontario's Fire Company was located across the street was notified by a rider on from the Grist Mill, known at horseback. They returned to the time as "The Beehive" — Williamson within 24 min- approximately the location of utes; after changing their today's Gallo's. People at the horse teams at farms along park could see black smoke ris- the Ridge Road. They brought ing from the town. An imme- a 4-cylinder gas-powered diate rush to the scene took pumper. place. A few individuals with Firemen in Rochester had cars were the first to arrive at been notified at 4:30 and by the fire. 7:00 they had arranged to One of these early arrivals send a steam-powered was John Spavin, owner of a pumper by train. By then they meat market in the affected were notified that the fire was area. Spavin ran into his build- basically under control. ing and emptied the till of its In the chaos that accompa- contents. It was the only thing nied the fire, trolley traffic he would be able to save. through Williamson ceased. Some said the fire originated Heat from the fire melted the in Jacob Martin's Clothing hooks that held the electric store; possibly from a heated wires overhead. It was just as iron left unattended. It quickly well. The street was full of fire spread through all the build- hoses. East and west seg- ings between The Beehive, a ments of the line continued to Pumper No. 1, Williamson gas powered pumper of 1906. The buildings directly behind the stone structure to the east and operate. Spectators arrived 4 the Pound Block, two brick pumper, from the (current) Williamson Hardware building recognizable on the left, to the from both directions; by trol- buildings in the northeast cor- cobblestone Grist Mill on the right, all burned during the fire of 1910. (From History of the ley. Williamson Fire Company #1.) ner of the intersection of Main After the fire was con- Street and Lake Av- tained between enue. brick walls on the Earlier that day, I;&ft

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Williamson's July 4,1910 Fire (Part 3; Conclusion) In 1910, The Bee- hive—which survived As quickly as possible an the blaze intact—still automobile carried the news housed a gristmill that to the park, where the after- was a source of flour noon sports were in progress, for the community. Wa- and the firemen and a large ter for this mill, at one crowd made their way to the time, ran under Main scene. The engine and hose Street; the stream bed had been used earlier in the can still be seen from day for sprinkling the streets the parking lot behind and also in the parade of the the Williamson Hard- forenoon, so the apparatus ware Store. was not in its usual place in the fire house." According to "The 0> History of The Will- Much time was spent try- iamson Fire Company ing to find accessible sup- #1, 1889-2001": "This plies of water. The R e c o rd fire was believed to noted that "...if there had have been started by been a sufficient supply of an arsonist, or a hot water the loss would not iron at a clothes press probably have been great, as shop." There were ru- the fire started within brick mors that the fire had walls and might have been been started by the held there." owner of the clothing As it turned out the brick store who was reported Main Street Fire, Williamosn July 1910, (Phil Dean collection) walls of Pound's Hall and the stone construction of the Grist Mill (The Beehive) prevented the fire from spread- to have been seen boarding a westbound trolley just before the ing. Everything in between was reduced to ashes...because "only one stream could fire was discovered. No cause was ever found and no charges be thrown and the hose had to be changed from one wall to another." were ever made. Some sources disagree about ownership of t h e burned properties. According to This "History" notes, "The well on the four corners had a l - the Record, the fire started in a two-story building owned by F.W. Tassell which ready been pumped dry that day and no water was available to was totally consumed by the blaze. fight this fire. This was before the municipal water system was The account in the Sodus Record (7/8/10) identified all families who were burned installed and was one of the big reasons for the water system, out, together with a list of busi- when it was installed just ness and owners who were im- several years later." pacted. Firemen managed to lay "The same thought seems to hoses to a cistern at the occur to all, that Williamson must Lockley residence on Lake have a better water supply. Mon- Avenue where the "were day nighfs loss would almost or able to get enough water to quite pay for a water system." fill the hoses and extinguish There can b e no doubt that the the ashes." 1910 fire was instrumental in A detailed account of the making needed changes. fire was carried in the So- Material for this piece was taken dus Record for July 8,1910. from the Williamson Sun, Sodus "Serious Conflagration. Record, Hoffman Essay "The Will- On the evening of July 4th, iamson Fire of 1910" by Darlene Williamson was visited by Follette (1973), and the History of the the most disastrous fire Williamson Fire Company No. 1 — which ever occurred in this 1889-2001 by John Manahan and village. Nearly all the resi- Bob Sponable. Darlene Follette's es- dents and practically all of say contains information based on first the firemen were at person interviews with folks who re- Fireman's Park at the west membered seeing the fire. Photo- end of town when smoke graphs and old postcards were pro- was discovered coming vided by Phil Dean and Perry from the clothing store of Howland. Jacob Martine, Jr. (sic). Main Street Fire, Williamosn July 1910, (A. Evengalist) Turn your Next Event into a ORBAKERS FRUIT FARM MARKET 3451 LAKE ROAD, WILLIAMSON, NEW YORK Hours: Mon - Sat, 10 - 5; Sunday 12 - 5 " (315)589-2036 Rochester, NY BlackTieCatennglnc com 585.224.0480

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