Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-09-08
HINCKLEY fire
DAYS RECALLED
Old Timers Met at Hinck1ey
Sunday for the 38th
Anniversary.
Pictures, Trinkets From
Logging Days Viewed
With Interest.

The homecoming celebration at
Hinckley Sunday which commemor-
ated the 3Sth anniversary OF the
great Hinckley forest fire of Sept. 1,
1894, was attended by old timers
from over the county and folks from
more distant places who were former
residents of Hinckley and who went
through the fire. The crowd this year
was little larger than usual. About
200 lunches were served to adults In
the afternoon at the American Legion
hall.
Visits were made to the cemetery
where AIS bodies were buried in three
trenches just following the fire. A
high shaft erected there by act of the
legislature many years ago also re-
minds the visitor, through its inscrip-
tions, of the terrible conflagration
that did a million dollars damage,
wiped out several villages and hun
dreds of farm homes and left 1900
men, women, and children homeless
and destitute.
Visiting Enjoyed.
Folks enjoyed the visiting with one
another at the Legion hall Sunday
afternoon and such old timers as
J. S. Patrick, ]. j. Folsom, and others
who have been residents of Hinckley
ever since the fire, were busy getting
the younger folks and newer settlers
acquainted with the visitors who were
former residents of Pine county.
koh - oil iof.r
relics were a number of woodsmen.s
tools that were made in Sweden and
brought to Hinckley by a relative Of
Peter Hokanson. These tools went
through the fire and were afterwards
tempered by the then village black
smith, Dan McLaren, who has since
passed away in Canada. An auger
looked like a rather crude instrument
but Mr.. Hokanson explained that it
was used for making wooden shoes,
for cutting out the inside.
Chas. Edstrom of Sandstone, had
placed a picture on the table show
ing his brother, Erick and another
person. The picture, large and dis
tinct one, was taken about forty years
ago. Erick Edstrom was so badly
burned in the fire which also swept
Sandstone, where he then resided,
that he lost his fingers and died a
year later from the effects of the fire.
Chas. Edstrom happened to be out of
town, in Grantsburg, Wis, at the time
of the fire, or he might have suffered
the same fate of his brother. Pic
lures showed street scenes of Hinck-
ley in the COS when wagons, buggies,
horses and oxen were all the go.
Oxen yoke and other things from by
gone days, were shown on this table
which attracted many visitors.
Several Families From Iron Ranges.
Mr.. and Mrs. j. H. Fleming and
one son, Edmund, from Virginia, on
the Iron Range, were among the visi-
tors at Hinckley Sunday. The Flem-
ings who now have a large family,
lived at Hinckley in their younger
days at the time of the fire and then
had one baby daughter. Mrs. Elem
ing is sister of James M. Brennan
and Mrs. Lee Webster of Hinckley.
Mr.. Fleming was postmaster of Vir-
ginia during the Wilson administra-
ton.
Mr.. and Mrs. John ]. Brennan and
three sons of Biwabik, were amongst
the visitors as were also Dennis Dunn
and daughter, Florence, of Cromwell;
Dan McIvor and daughter, Alice, of
Cromwell, and daughter, Mrs. 1. Void,
Sturgeon Lake; the McNarama broth
ers of Rutledge; and other folks from
the Iron Ranges and the Twin Cities.
The McNamaras lost two brothers and
their mother in the fire.
The recalling of old scenes and
many pleasant memories from the
pioneer days of Pine county was much
enjoyed by all those who attended the
home coming. Various organizations
of Hinckley village, had prepared to
make the day a pleasant one for the
visitors as we'll as their own old
timers