A terrible tragedy occurred on this night in 1924. On May 12, the Bismarck Tribune was shocked to learn of a fatal farmhouse fire that left four children and their mother dead near Regan, North Dakota. The fire was reported by the farmer’s neighbors, who rushed to the scene only to find the devastating effects of the accident.

The Davenport family lived in their farm home about forty-five miles northeast of Bismarck. Leonard Davenport and his sons farmed, and his wife cared for their six children. Early on that morning, Mr. Davenport awoke early to complete chores around the yard. He woke his seven-year old son Freddie to accompany him to the barn and built a fire in the kitchen stove. While the father and son tended to the livestock, a strong wind blew up and prevented the smoke in the house’s chimney from escaping, causing the kitchen stove to overheat. Suddenly, the father looked up and saw the house enveloped in flames. Mr. Davenport ran to the small one-story house and frantically tried to get through the door. The immense smoke and heat prevented him from entering the house; in desperation, Davenport ran to a side window and broke through the glass. He reached through the window and pulled out the first thing he found, which happened to be his nine-year old son William. Although William was badly burned, the boy was still breathing and Mr. Davenport left him with younger Freddie. After several unsuccessful attempts, Davenport finally made it into the house to retrieve his wife’s lifeless body. Neighbors soon arrived to the tragic scene, led to the farm by the black smoke issuing from the house. Some of the neighbors took William to Wilton for treatment of his burns, but he was soon removed to the Bismarck Hospital due to the severity of his injuries. In all, four of the Davenport children lost their lives, as well as their mother. It was believed that the children died of smoke inhalation while sleeping in their beds, and that Mrs. Davenport passed while holding her smallest child of only a year.

--Jayme L Job
Source:
Fargo Forum and Daily Republican (Evening ed.). May 12, 1924: p. 1.

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