The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-06-23
AN OLD LANDMARK BURNS.
The Old Sales Hotel Building Des'
troyed by Fire Friday.

One of the old landmarks of the town
of Leon was wiped out last Friday when
fire was discovered in G. M. Axes livery
barn at the corner of Main and Com
mercial streets, shortly after noon. The
fire started in the second story which
was filed with hay, about ten t,ns hav-
ing been placed in the NOW only a few,
days before, and the south end of the
barn left open. 1t is supposed the fire
started from spark from the chimney
of Hotel Denison just south of it blow
ing into the loft. The fire was discov-
cred at once but the hay burned rapid
ly and from the start it looked as ii the
building was doomed. The fire COM
pany did effective work and in very
short time had two stl cams of water
playing on the flames, and the fact that
the barn was built of native lumber,
well seasoned, made the progress Of the
fire rather slow. Ropes were attached
to the north end of the building and it
was pulled down, and the flames were
lextinguished before the main part of
building fell in.
The building was owned by G. M.
Axes and leased by the Leon Horse Co.,
who own the livery stock. All the
horses, buggies and harness were re-
moved, but in addition to the. hay
about 200 bushels of oats and about the
same number of corn were burned and
there was no insurance on it. Mr.. Axes
carried 81 900 insurance on the building
and adjoining sheds, and the loss will
probably be adjusted so as to cover the
damage. The building will have to be
torn down and Mr.. Axes has not as yet
decided how he will rebuild. He is
thinking some of building a new feed
and sale stable on the east end of the
the lots and new hotel building on
the corner. He will not decide however
until the adjuster for the Hawkeye In
surance Co., in which his policy was
carried arrives and adjusts his loss.
The burned building was probably
the Oldest building in the town of Leon,
having been built in 1867 by Jacob
Hoffman, father of G. w. Hoffman, who
traded it about a year after it was fin
ished to Judge Sales for the 100 acre
farm now owned by G.. w. Hoffman a
mile north of Leon. For many years
Judge Sales used it for the Sales House,
a hotel which was we'll known to travel
ers on the old stage line, and in later
years the hotel was acquired by w. A.
Brown, the father of the present land
lord of Hotel Leon, who conducted it as
I Browns Hotel until his death. His son
continued the business for number oil
! years and the building was purchased
tby Mr.. Axes a few years ago, remodeled
and converted into a livery and sale
barn.
While the fire was in progress it was
discovered hat one of the south rooms
of the Hotel Denison was on fire and il
took active work on the part of the fire
department to save this building
the fire however being confined
to the one room in which. it origi
. mated. AS this room was on the opposite
side from the fire, how the fire in i
originated is a mystery, and it is com
mon talk that some one who wanted t,
see all the old buildings burned ou
helped it along by starting fire il
, this room. All the furniture in tn
8 hotel was carried out and was more o
less damaged but this loss is fully cov
ered by insurance in the Hawkeye Ct