Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-12-29
BIG FIRES ANNIVERSARY.
Buildings Destroyed in conflasration
of 1T Years Ago.

OF ~ y ears H9Os
I In continuation OF the article in last
4 weeks COURIER
Immediately north of the White River
4 House stood frame building occupied at
! the time Of the fire by DIR. X. NJ. Chase as a
dental Office and By Lyman WEIGH for a
1 furniture store. DR.. Chase had started in
business as a dentist in Bethel village in
1875, and lays claim to the title Of being
dean Of the business men of Bethel IN
point OF years of business here. Not a
single man doing business in Bethel vii
lage on his own responsibility then is do
ing business here now. After the fire, Mr..
WEIGH located in the Jacob Smith block
(where the present town hall is) and then
when the Arnold block was built took the
middle tenement on the ground floor,
there then being three tenements on the
ground floor. Frank Williams had been
in the furniture business in the same To-
cation before Mr.. WEIGH and had become
involved financially and DR.. Chase had
been employed to sell out the stock by the
assignee. Mr.. WEIGH had been in BUSH
ness only about month at the time OF
the fire. There was great excitement, and
a resident at the north end tells OF going
TO the fire and meeting a number Of wom-
en- each carrying a small infants coffin,
which they had saved from Mr.. Welch's
stock and were carrying to places Of
safety.
The "brick store" destroyed in this fire
was perhaps the largest loss. 1t stood on
the location of the store occupied now by
G. II. Kimball. 1t was built about 1885 by
Samuel Austin, Jr., and a Mr.. Herrick.
These men were not in partnership, and
each built portion Of the building and
it for his own use. For mary
years previous to the erection of the brick
store it appears that the Gardner Wheeler
house, owned by Rollin ellison, had been
used as hotel. The main street Of the
village then ran from in front Of the house !
Of r, NJ. Weston, up the hill in the rear of |
the kittridge block and past the Gardner /
w heller house. After the Wheeler house 1
ceased to be kept as a hotel, the street was /
changed to its present location. The /
original site OF the brick store was a solid 4
ledge, and great expense was incurred in /
blasting and preparations. Large stones +
were blasted out and thrown upon the /
White River House and into the river.
The brick for the building was made on
.he Woodwork place in the edge OF Roy
llton below East Bethel and the late For
iyce Punney had the job Of drawing the
brick.
After completion, one portion OF the
tore was occupied by MIR. Austin as a
tore and the other by Mr.. Herrick as a
in shop. Mr.. Herrick did not have great
financial success and sold out his stock
10 Thomas Wheat farmer living on
fOyaton hill. Mr.. Wheat was not born
o the business and many amusing
Instances are related of his dealings with
ustomers. Cyrus Adams followed Mr..
Wheat, who had failed in business, and
be ownership of the entire building
assed TO Mr.. Austin. Mr.. Austin also
allied, and the building was in litigation
or several years At length the store
abiding and the Wheeler house were
old at auction for s1400 to Rev. Matthew
lmgman and George Francis. A division
'as made and Mr.. Kiugman took tine
ouse and Mr.. Francis the store. This
'as in 1917. Mr.. Francis took his BUSH /
ess into the store and carried on q
eneral merchandise business with profit.
hrst occupying part Of the ground {
DOR and later the entire floor. The late !
uy Il, Graham was at first a clerk in
ne store, then partner, and finally sole ,
wner, both OF the business and the block.
All the time Mr.. Francis was in BUSH
ess the express company had an office in
ne building while, Lucius II. Edison a
weller shop, Abner Morse an office, and :
lher parties used it for various purposes.
he second story had been used for DWELL |
lgs and offices. Micah Foster had a shoe
lop in it at one time. A. p. Hunton had a {
" Office in II for many years and was an S
'cupant at the time, losing by the fire /
& fine law library.
On the upper floor was a hall, used FIRST I
z the Odd Fellows, then by the Know :
othings, then by the Good Templars. 2
I'd finally by the Grange. The building :
as the scene OF many holly contested
gal fights, and the ruins covered the
crets oil several defunct societies. I