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The city of Fargo suffered a devastating fire on this day in 1907. The
fire broke out in the basement of the Bristol-Sweet Harness Company at
117 Broadway and caused over $100,000 in damages. The harness company
sold and produced leather harnesses, sweat pads, and collars in their
downtown factory and salesroom. Fortunately, the full amount of the damage
was covered by the company’s insurance policy.
Christ Ross, a shipping clerk at the factory, was the first to notice
the fire. He was alarmed to find smoke issuing from the basement of the
building when he arrived to work at 8:00 that morning. Ross ran into the
workrooms and shouted to the just-arrived workmen, “Pick up your
tools, boys--she’s afire!” The fire quickly spread throughout
the entire basement of the building, and begin working its way up into
the higher floors. Several of the company’s employees were forced
to jump from the building’s windows, but were lucky enough to have
large snow banks beneath to soften their falling a bit. E. R. Twitchell,
foreman of the harness room, escaped the fire by climbing to the roof
of the building and jumping onto the roof of a neighboring building. Twitchell
reported that the fire had broken out in car loads of sweat pads that
had been stored in the basement. The pads, being made of animal hair,
cotton, and burlap, were quite flammable. It was believed that electric
wires had ignited the pads since repairs were being made to the basement’s
electric lights earlier that morning. Next door, occupants of an adjoining
apartment building were hastily awakened and evacuated from their rooms;
most emerged into the freezing air of the streets in their pajamas and
carrying only their most precious belongings. Fargo’s fire department
quickly arrived to the scene and were met with difficulties of their own;
the freezing temperatures caused problems with their water hoses, and
caused a layer of ice to form on the men’s faces.
After fighting the blaze for over four hours, the firemen were finally
able to extinguish the fire. Smoke and water damage affected the neighboring
Ideal theater and Ames furniture store, but the most devastating effects
of the fire were fortunately contained within the Bristol building. Most
of the losses were in the form of equipment and leather supplies housed
in the factory, but the Bristol Company was able to temporarily relocate
to Moorhead for three weeks and continue business as usual.
Sources:
The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican (Evening ed.). January 16, 1907:
p. 1-2.
The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican (Evening ed.). January 22, 1907:
p. 8.
--Jayme L. Job
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