THE FIRE, 1886

In 1886 occurred the great fire. It started on the east side of the Boulevard in Wilcox's saloon. (This was the last saloon in DeLand). The alarm was promptly given and was answered by all who heard it. For fire protection, the city had only two little chemical engines and the water in tanks and cisterns. The buildings were of pine, which is highly inflammable. The fire, soon beyond control, swept north and south on both sides of the Boulevard. Lynch's, Cooney's, M. Davis' stores, the Bond Lumber Co's office and McNeill and Allen's furniture store were consumed. The buildings north of Rich Avenue, though badly charred, did not burn. The fiercest struggle seems to have taken place at the south to prevent the conflagration from crossing New York Avenue. While Chamber and Dunn's three story block was blazing, a brigade of fighters saved the Carrollton Hotel. They hung wet blankets from the verandahs, then enveloped themselves in blankets, they went up and down to a tank on the roof for water which they kept pouring on the flames, whenever they blazed up. As the men became exhausted, others took their places, until the fire sank into ashes. Across the street Dr. Fisher's store, occupied by Fisher and Sutton, was in equal danger, while Miller's and Tanner's stables were burning. They kept it from catching by wetting the building with water from a tank in the backyard, "but just at the apex of the heat, the water supply gave out. The shingles began to smoke, when Mr. Spaulding discovered some tanks of carbonated water used in the soda fountain, a chemical fire extinguisher right at hand. A tank was carried out on New York Avenue. Mr. Spaulding with his head and back protected by wet carpet, threw this water on the building until the danger point was passed.” The whole fire, I have been told lasted only two hours. The citizens feared,that what was left of the place would be raided by the disorderly negroes of the neighborhood. "In their desperation they called on the cowmen from the woods and they quickly came galloping in with rifles unslung, looking for negroes to shoot at. Of course the negroes did not appear. For several days folks went armed in fear of disorder. These fears may have been groundless, but all were obsessed by them." Soon the work of reconstruction began. The insurance agency of Silas B. Wright met the unprecedented demand safely. A committee was appointed to obtain special railroad rates for building material and to gain loans and credits for the merchants to restock their burned goods. Fire limits were established. Brick and concrete structures replaced the wooden, and were fireproof and far more sightly in appearance.

Excerpt from, The Story of DeLand and Lake Helen, Florida 

Written by, Helen Parce DeLand