Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-05-20
the Congregational church and several

James Green, just married, lost all he |
had, and no insurance.
Adjoining on the south was the E. S. |
Pierce tin and hardware store; nothing
saved.
Next came the post-office and G. H. |
Wilson'S drug store. Nothing saved. f.
j. Preston lived in the second story and |
as soon as the fire started, realizing what
was to come, undertook to save piano, |
turned it down, but before he could re-
move one of the legs, was driven out by |
the flames
The Flora E. Haviland building came |
next Ida Dana had millinery store |
here and lost all and was not insured.
Then came the old corner store owned |
by W. B. Palmer and kept by Dole & Cur
rier. very little of this stock was saw
ed. VIM. Mute and Harry German had
rooms in this building but saved nothing.
Hoyts North Star Office was in the second
story. He was just going to press, had
struck off two or three copies, then made
hasty exit with the two forms, which
was all he saved. No insurance
Turning the corner on the ST. Johns
bury road the first building was the NJ E.
parsonage occupied by Rev Geo. E. Burn
ham, who got part of his goods on the
common and saw them burn up He lost
everything including all his books.
Twenty rods east were the Henry Peck
buildings from which nothing was saved
but the family. AS there was nothing
more to save on the north side of the road
the flames stopped there.
On the south were the houses of Julia
A. West, Spencer Tilton, George Page,
| FL. G. Danforth and Hiram Fisher, back in
the field below Danforths. Nothing
saved expect few articles by Mrs West.
No one ever knew a fire to do it's work
more speedily. Five acr es of buildings
burned over in 40 minutes. Imagine the
confusion and scramble of that panic
stricken people, suddenly overtaken by
such a calamity, with no one to help, not
even neighbors, because every neighbor
was put on the defence of his own person
| and property. The hardship comes, not
on the real estate owners, who almost
without exception were well insured, but
on several of those 10 families, suddenly
deprived of everything they possessed and
without dollar insurance.
More than so persons suffered losses
by the fire in sums ranging from u few
dollars to $4,000. 1t is predicted that
those interested in the business of the
town will rebuild several of the stores,
that new dwellings will go up to supply
| of ma IN maE a
old Danville their home.
But the prominent landmarks of old
Danville Green, so familiar to the old
timers will be seen no more. From this
on, its business centre will be a modern
village. The old Kelsey tavern which
could tell so many stories about early
stage times, and old court times, will
speak no more 1t was built prior to
1910, at which time it was kept by Capt.
Peter Blanchard who died there that year.
Marmaduke Waite kept it prior to 1880,
about which time John Kelsey got tired
of keeping store, took the tavern and for
nearly 20 years was one of the best known
landlords in this part of the state. Aaron
| Smith was the last landlord and kept it
up to five or six years ago when DR..
Woodard built the Elm house, bought the
Kelsey tavern and converted it into a
s'Beehive."
Another old landmark was the Dole
Brothers store, built in the street by Dea.
Dana, prior to 1920. The Deacon could
do any thing in those days, and when he
stepped out of the building row and built
his store on public land, nobody ventured
to question his right. He kept the store
some time and was followed by John
Ware. Next came Dan Dana, Geo Dana
and Gardner Ware, then c. S. Dana, next
Jo Weeks and Isaac Stanton, then 10
Weeks alone, afterwards Harvey Weeks,
then Horace Ide and George Hidden, then
William Haviland, and, to wind up, the
Dole Brothers.
The court house, or present Town Hall,
was started about 1920 and enlarged in
1899. The first court business was done
in a building down the st Johnsbury road
nearly opposite the Palmer store. The
county record building, owned by the La
dies Library Association, was built by
Gen. E. B. Chase of LYnd on,in 1889.
After the county seat was removed to st.
Johnsbury this became the office of Bliss
n. Davis, and later was converted into
a library building.
The corner store, owned by Palmer,
was built by Gustin Clark in 1925 and
kept many years by him. He was fol-
lowed by VIM. Sas and A. c. Pence.
About 1910 Solon Vaile, Ira Brainard and
Judge Sias commenced, and became IA
nous in northern Vermont as the firm
Vaile, Brainard & Co., doing an immense
business for some 20 years. George
Brainard followed, afterwards w. IL.
Palmer, and lastly Dole & Currier
The brick store on the other side OF the
street was built in about 1920, and John
KELSEY traded there till about 1880, when
he went into the hotel. He was followed
bv Fl. c.. Babcock From 1914 to 1850 j.
G. Fuller was in trade there. 1t was
then vacant awhile when Charles ingalls,
took it, The Danville bank started ousl-
ness in this building in 1926, and did busi-
ness there till it's own building was COM
pleted
The Mrs West house, opposite the Pal
mer store, was formerely the old Fran
coma store, started far back in the early
days, when the Franconia iron company
was f1ourishing and doing an extensive
business through this upper country 1t
was a noted establishment when the old
men of this day were boys, teasing their
fathers for ssninepence" to go to June
training with. Peace to it's ashes.
Among the historic residences destroy
ed was the Palmer house, built by Mr.
Choat about 1910. 1t was large two
story building, and built in the ''pon
honor style of those days. The late
| Samuel B. Mattocks, of Lyndon, married
one of Mr.. Choat's daughters, went there
to live. and there was where all his child
ran were horn. and where he lived till
II