Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-08-18
MARKVILLE BUSINESS
HOUSES TO REBUILD
Fire Swept Business Block, Lay
ing Several Buildings in Ruin.
-Post-Office Ready for Bust
ness Again in A Few Hours.

HcSS AgdiH IN "A rev HOURS.
The fire at Markville that occurred
early Monday morning, Aug. 5, and
which was briefly reported in last
weeks American, was the worst fire
in the history of that village. 1t en-
veloped half of the principal business
block and for a time threatened to
spread still farther.
The postoffice was one of the build
ings burned and Mrs. Ell. Steinbring,
postmistress, who lives at Riverside
and goes back and forth to work, ar
rived in town at $50 a. m. after the
hre. Her only equipment was small
hand bag she carried. Mr.. Steinbring
rushed to Danbury after an emergency
supply of stamps and forms and with
the assistance of friends who donated
temporary. fixtures, the postoffice was
in full operation, receiving and dis
patching mail at 10 a. M, the NOR
ming of the fire. The town hall will
be rented for postoffice until Mrs.
,Steinbring can erect unsuitable build
ing on her lots, facing the highway,
south of Chipman's store.
The postoffice safe was not fireproof.
Everything in it was ruined.
The postoffice inspector did not ar
rive until Friday. The loss to the
government cannot be determined I'M
til Mrs. Steinbring meets with the
Central Accounting Postmaster at Min
neapolis this week.
Train Gives Alarm.
warning whistle from the loco
motive of 500 Line freight awoke
the townsfolks to the danger and soon
every available means of fighting the
flames was in use. 1t was evident
however that the Coleman cafe and
hotel, the postoffice, the big general
store, and all the buildings south of
them in the block were doomed. BY
working relays on the force pump at
Chipman's we'll hose was kept play
ing on the meat market and Chapman
residence and store and they were
with difficulty kept from burning. A
breeze from the north aided in saw
ing these buildings and the business
buildings across the street. There
were also three private garages, two
ice houses, warehouse and some
sheds on the same lots and two barns
across the alley that went up in
smoke.
The fire originated from some I'M
known cause in the kitchen of the
cafe and was just bursting through
the roof and sides when discovered
by the train crew. Mr.. Coleman was
the only one sleeping in the hotel
rooms that night and he saved only
enough clothes to wear at the fire.
Those living in the apartments over
the store were able to save much of
their personal effects but the stock
of goods in the store was mostly de-
stroyed.
The postoff1ce burned without even
being broken into as it was only a
very few minutes after the alarm
until the building was all in flames.
The general merchandise store was
housed on the ground floor of the
largest building in the village, it
being 36x70 feet, two full stories, and
with a full basement. 1t was owned
by a Mr.. Williams, of Ruthton, MINI.
Erickson and Bourasa, proprietors of
the mercantile business, will reopen
as soon as they can secure suitable
quarters and will rebuild if necessary.
Mr.. Coleman will also rebuild.
There was a fair amount of insur-
ance on the buildings burned but
the stocks and the personal property
and fixtures were not so well covered,
some of the smaller losers having no
insurance at all.