The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-09-04
Dunmovin, Splendid Coun-
try Home of Henry S.
Cooper Completely De-
stroyed Thursday Night.
FAMOUS GARDENS UNFRAMED
Fire Breaks out On Roof Of House and
Spreads Rapidly--City Firemen Work
Six Hours Fighting Flames and
Save Surrounding Buildings.

"Dunmovin, the handsome country
aome of Henry $. Cooper, founder Of
the Cooper Underwear Company, situ-
ated on the Cooper road two miles west
Of Kenosha, was completely destroyed
by fire on Thursday night, entailing
loss, estimated by Mr.. Cooper this
morning, Of $4,000 This loss is par
italy covered by insurance amounting
to $4,000. The fire which broke out
on one of the rear roofs of the house
just before seven clock Thursday
night is believed to have resulted from
piece of burning paper flying from
the chimney connected with the incin-
orator in the house.
Lack of fire protection made it i'm
possible to save the wonderful Cooper
home, but the activity Of The firemen
and police officers and crowds of friends
of the family who went out from Ke-
nosha made it possible for the furnish
ings Of the first and second floor Of the
building to be saved and most Of it was
removed from the burning building
without its being seriously damaged.
Mr. Cooper said this morning that he
had not as yet made his plans for the
future but that it was probable that
new 'tDunmovin would be built ON
the site of the present ruins.
The havoc OF the fire when viewed
this morning was a most unusual pic
ture. The charred ruins of what had
been the beautiful and comfortable
home were set of in strange relief by
the wonderful Cooper gardens and the
wonderful beds of blooming plants of
almost every variety known to the art
of the florist formed distinctly unique
background for the blackened ruins of
the home. No damage was done to the
famous gardens in any way and the
greenhouses and other buildings about
the house escaped the course of the
flames.
The members of the Cooper family
had Just finished dinner when the fire
was discovered by one of the maids
who noticed little patch of fame on
the back roof. 1t was not more than
four feet square and efforts were made
to prevent the spread of the fire by
using water from the water tank just
short distance from the house. The
pumps, however, did not work properly
and the flames spread very rapidly. A
naIl 10 ha n14 dnno r&rp NJ
and Chief Schwartz ordered Captain
Hansen and the members of companies
three and four out to the burning build
ing. They, took the big booster pump
from the third ward engine house and
after some delaNit was connected with
pond and water was poured on the
burning building The ration of the
pump was hinaered 6 by the use
of the muddy water fro.A the pond.
Before the arrival Of the french,
members of the Cooper family who had
been at home when the fire was discov-
cred and other people from the neigh
borhood aided in the removing of the
furniture from the home. 1t was car
ried out onto the lawns and properly
covered and men from the Kenosha po
lice department. kept guard over it dur
ing the night while the fremen contin-
ued the fight against smouldering
flames. The city fremen worked for
six hours and high credit was given to
them for their efforts regardless of the
fact that they could not save the build
ing. They at least managed to delay
the advance Of the flames until the fur
niture from the two floors Of the house
could be removed
The fire was still smouldering this
morning in coal piles in the basement
of the house.
Thousands Of people went to Dun
movin - when the alarm was sent in
that the house was burning and many
of them remained to watch the flames
for hours.
Dunmovin' was one of the show
places of the North Shore. 1t was not
: so much the grandeur of the Cooper
home, as it was modest home, but it
was the wonderful setting that had been
given to it that made it the show place
of this section. Kenosha Evening
News, August 20, 1919.