The photo above of the Baldwyn Volunteer Fire Department in action is dated 1952. The fire is in the area above the old McGee's grocery and cafe. We have been discussing the possible cause and Jimmy Baxter described an event that might possibly be this particular fire. More on that later, if he can confirm it.
During our early years in Baldwyn, when a fire was reported or another happening of importance was needing to be announced, the person in charge "blew the fire whistle" as we used to say. That got a lot of response from the citizens. The siren was mounted about halfway up the first water tower behind city hall and could be heard for at least a mile or two. Sometimes a person in a car had to speed downtown or to a house that they knew had a telephone to report an emergency or fire.
When the siren started howling, most of the neighborhood dogs did, also. We would all stop what we were doing, run outside and scan the horizon for smoke and when spotted, make a "bee-line" for it. Some of us on bicycles would get to the fire before the truck did. Once, we saw a huge fire start at Gentry's slaughter house on North Fifth street, just up the road from the Gentry home. They were rendering "cracklins" and the pot boiled over, setting the dry grass on fire. Several of us youngsters helped get it under control before the truck got there.
If we didn't see any smoke when the siren blew, that usually meant one of two things; a false alarm or something else was up, which required a trip downtown to see what was happening. Robert Thomas and I recalled recently about one late Summer day (actually August 15, 1945) when the siren started blowing incessantly. Someone found out what it was - the Japanese had surrendered and World War 2 was over. The townspeople had predetermined that when that happened, the whole town was to meet at the First Baptist Church. That was one trip to see what was happening that everyone in town was glad to do. Business and everything came to a stop while we met at the church and gave thanks for the ending of that long, costly conflict. Now all our men could come home.
(Update: Two identical reports from readers seem to think that the fire was in a photography studio, started from chemicals used in a developer. Damage was minimal, except for water. This is the same thought that Jimmy Baxter has, who first told me the story.)
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Photo from the Marie Evans Collection
Great story, Carl. That's exactly the way I remember it.
ReplyDeleteTMG
Those volunteer firefighters were always busy with lots of brushfires. Of course, when the hotel burned, that was more than a brushfire.
ReplyDeleteWas the Lyric theater next door to McGee's?
ReplyDeleteCynthia, Sam Johnson's Western Auto Store was between McGee's and the Lyric if you're talking about that time period.
ReplyDeleteCarl, did you know that the Western Auto location was a bowling ally? My dad worked there as a pen setter before we were born---just something that popped in my mind---------
ReplyDeleteJM, I had thought of that bowling alley only a few times. I do remember it, mainly because of the unique noise it made, and I wondered why people would do anything like that. I only have a very tiny thought of how it looked. There was a sandwich counter near the sidewalk inside and I attempted to try my first barbecue there - it was a couple of slices of pork on a bun with lettuce and extremely hot sauce on it. One or two bites and that was it for me. I never really enjoyed BBQ until I got to Memphis in 1957 and tasted one from Leonard's, which was the best at the time.
ReplyDeleteOne Saturday when the cool weather was just starting, Patsy Devaughn tried to build a fire in the fireplace and burned their house to the ground. It only took a few minutes for that house to be totally gone.
ReplyDeleteRJ
When just a little fella my daddy would hit the door running when the fire whistle blew and on occasions he would take me with him and they would let me help hold the hose. What a thrill for a boy my age. I remember one in particular I think it was on second street close to Bo Henry's house. People would show up from all over town just to help a neighbor.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the pile of sawdust catching fire near the railroad track? Mid 40s. It smoldered for days afterwards.
ReplyDeleteHeck, even "city hall" burned up, taking some lives! I heard that was due to gross negligence on the part of the overnight officer in charge.
ReplyDeleteTO ANONYMOUS--DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR!! GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!
ReplyDeleteRe: the Home Hotel fire. What caused that? I didn't know when or how that occurred.
ReplyDeleteAlso the house that I was born in and lived in until 1957 at 687 W Main Street (in front of Graham's) suddenly disappeared. I heard it burned, but if so, it was a clean burn or cleaned up. Anyone know?
The rumor at the time about the jail was it was set to kill a prisoner. Came by as the fire had just been put out. awful stench
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