06/18/2026
At 2:30pm on Thursday June 18, 1903 a fire was discovered in the rear of the Sencenbaugh & Co. Department Store on Broadway. Employees attempted to put out the fire with buckets of water, but when the door to the store room where the fire was located was opened, the flames grew and the employee retreated. The Fire Department was called and they remained on scene all night and into the next day as the fire continued to smoulder. The department store was completely destroyed and several buildings surrounding the store were also impacted such as Mason’s Bakery and the office of Dr. Stebbins among others. Several firefighters were injured from the fire:
-Theodore Miller, No. 2 Co., cut on head and back when a heavy beam fell on him.
-Charles Hawkins, No. 3 Co., bruised about body by falling through the floor in burning building.
-Frank Woolson, Co. 5, hand badly hurt by running nail through it.
-Capt. Lewis Rees, Co. 5, overcome by smoke.
-Nick Schorpenter, No. 1 Co., burned about face and hands
How many employees or shoppers were in the store or the surrounding buildings was not reported but a number of people were also reported as injured, and since the fire took place during open hours it is likely the store had a number of patrons that had to escape the flames. 750, 298 gallons of water were said to have been used to fight the flames. A small fire broke out in the ruins a week later that was quickly contained by the chemical engine.
