Submitted story

Fighting the 1901 Fire

(Continued from last Friday’s UDC)

The alarm for the 1901 fire sounded at 3 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24.

In short order firefighters were on the scene, on the west side of the first block of North Main Street. At the time, J.B. Johnson was mayor and Noah Comer was fire chief. There were two fire stations, the closest at the City Building at the southeast corner of South Main and Market streets, and the other, at 515 N. Russell St.

Firefighters responded with horse drawn ladder and hose wagons (photo). The source of water for fighting the fire was from a Holly fire hydrant across North Main Street next to the City National Bank (photo). The Holly system of fire hydrants was installed in Urbana in 1872, a great benefit to the firefighters. Hauling water would have made fighting this fire much more difficult. The availability of the Holly fire hydrant system surely reduced insurance rates for businesses in Urbana.

Firefighters had to endure the cold and wind (from the south). Ice formed on the surfaces of buildings and firefighters (photo). Newspaper coverage of the fire noted that firefighters endured such conditions for a wage of $45 per month. The police assisted in fighting the fire, as did Mayor Johnson. The buildings affected by the fire were those from 112 to 128 N. Main St. The buildings at 126 and 128 N. Main St. endured only water and smoke damage. The other buildings were gutted by the fire. The businesses affected by the fire will be discussed in a future article.

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The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Info from Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS).