The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-01-14
Three-Story Frame Structure
On Main Street Quilted
BY Flames
DISCOVERED AT ll:15
Ruined Building Erected In
1873 BY Lancaster and
Boss, Builders

One Of Sank Centres oldest land
marks was destroyed Sunday might
in the fourth of series of disas-
trous Sunday fires. The Dubois
building, three story structure on
Main Street, erected by Lancaster
& Boss in 1873, was damaged to
such extent that 1t will possibly be
necessary to raze the building.
The fire of unknown origin was
discovered by Policeman Frank
Schlichte, who turned in the alarm
at about HIS Sunday might. Be
Meved to have started in the sec
ond story, back in the northwest
corner, the fire spread forward to
the center of the building. The
confederation STARTED in a corner
Of the building in which there was
no stove or chimney, and no one
had been in that part since Friday,
1t is reported.
Totalling a loss Of about $4,000
to the proprietor Of the building,
DR.. ]. A. Dubois, and the occupants
Of the burned structure, it was the
third severe fire in the business
section during the past three
months. Although a part of the
stocks of Vogel's Main Street Fur
niture store and Oscar Klonne's
Harness shop were rescued from
the building, the loss Is severe for
they had either no insurance or a
very small coverage. DR.. Dubois
carried a small amount of insurance
on the building, as did the Main
Street Furniture Co., on its stock
of new and second hand home fur
nishings. Mr.. Klonne, who occu-
pied the north store space, carried
no insurance, as did neither Leroy
Working, who had a stock Of fur
mace accessories and plumbing fix
lures on the third floor.
In spite of the fact that the wall
OF the adjoining building was only
a foot from the burning structure,
the department kepS-the fire con-
fined to the original building. Ply
ing their attentions on the walls OF
the burning frame structure, they
not only saved adjoining property,
but the walls of the burning build
ing as we'll are standing. The fire
men did their work so well that the
building, next door north, in which
are located the Main Street Market
and the Red Owl Store, suffered
neither smoke nor water damage.
Irwin Petit, who also suffered a
loss, returned from Willard Mon
day morning to find his potential
business gone up in smoke. He had
been in Willard Sunday arranging
for a building and house, and
had expected to open a shoe repair
business there. He had his cobbQer
machinery stored in the Dubois
building, and 1t was partially dam
aged.
Four elderly women, who reside
on the second floor of the Red Owl
building, received somewhat of a
scare. Mrs. Della Walker, who is
crippled from illness, was carried
down the stairs, while Mrs. Eliza
beth Kelley, Mrs. Bertha Gillette,
and Mrs. Carrie Huey left their
rooms for safer quarters. ALI have
moved back to their places.
rTGlIich lOuSAL CiiC ui1iAACo AhSAA
early morning, at about $50 o'clock,
when the danger was past. It did
not, however, take the men long to
get the fire under control, and in
stead of the fire becoming a serious
menace in the old frame structure,
it burned rather slowly. The roof
was burned from the structure
and the interior was badly Quilted.
This building carries with 1t
memories of many happy events of
the social calendar of the earlier
days of the city. 1t was erected in
1873 by Lancaster & Boss, saw
mill operators, who sawed all the
white pine lumber for the building.
Mr.. Boss sold out to Mr.. Fry be-
fore the building was completed.
These gentlemen planned to erect
a two-story building, but the Ma
sons and Odd Fellows needed hall
room, and through cooperation OF
these two bodies the third story
fContinued on Page g. Col Al