November 2003 The Megaphone Page 5
R. L. Leeson Department Store
Flames
Damage Other Buildings
Departments from Anderson, Alexandria and Tipton Summoned to Aid Local Firemen in Combating $600,000 Conflagration, Which Threatened to Wipe Out Center of Business District
Fire of undetermined origin about
Fire departments were summoned from Tipton,
It was one of the most devastating conflagrations in the city’s history and hundreds of people were attracted to the scene. Streets were roped off by police to prevent the crowds from entering the danger zones.
The fire started in the basement of the large Leeson store and it was a seething furnace when discovered. The flames were leaping several feet in height in the elevator shaft when the firemen were summoned to the scene.
Realizing they would be unable to combat the flames alone local firemen
summoned aid from Tipton,
With the arrival of fire fighting apparatus from other cities streams of water were played on nearby buildings. Several of the nearby structures caught fire, but the firemen succeeded in extinguishing the flames before any serious damage was done. The splendid work of the different departments received high commendation from the hundreds of spectators.
Flames from the burning Leeson store
leaped almost across Anderson and
The hardware store of the Leeson firm, located directly to the east of the main store, was badly damaged by fire, which for a time also threatened to destroy the structure. Practically the entire stock of the store was damaged by fire, smoke and water.
The front of the Hotel Sidwell,
located directly across
The building, owned by Edgar M. Clark, which adjoined the Leeson store on
the south on
The upstairs of the building was
occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Clark, while the downstairs housed the
The funeral chapel equipment was removed to the vacant room on the northwest corner of South B and Anderson streets and will be located there until repairs can be made to the former home.
The Masonic home, directly across
Large plate glass windows in the Woolworth store, Atlantic and Pacific store, Morris store, Kute and Conner drug store, Cooper’s Beauty Shoppe, Blubaugh flower store, Perrin Drug store, James W. Harris clothing store, King restaurant and Peel’s Cigar store were broken by the heat.
All windows on the south side of the Citizen’s bank building were also broken by the extreme heat and the flames did some damage to the home of the American Legion, which is located on the third floor. Curtains at the windows, a piano and an overcoat were badly damaged in the Legion home.
The cables of the Indiana Bell Telephone Company in the immediate vicinity of the Leeson store were badly damaged. Some of the cables were severed and telephone service in different sections of the city was crippled. No estimate was available on the company’s damage.
The building of the telephone company was threatened by the flames, but large streams of water saved the structure. The intense heat caused the operators to leave their work at the board for a brief time.
Several strands of holiday lights, which were erected by the business firms. In the downtown districts, were damaged on Anderson and South A streets.
Walls of the Lesson store, which did not crumple during the fire, were pulled down by the firemen as a safety precaution. Fortunately no one was seriously injured in combating the disastrous conflagration. Herman Hockett, member of the street department crew, suffered a laceration on the head when struck by a falling brick.
Immediately after the flames were brought under control members of the
city street department and the city street department and the city CWA employees
were placed at work by Mayor George M. Bonham in removing the brick and other
debris from South A and
Some of the broken windows in buildings were replaced this afternoon and in other instances boards were nailed over the openings.
Fire Chief John Snyder of the local city department and Mayor George M. Bonham joined together in issuing a statement of appreciation to the Tipton, Alexandria and Anderson fire departments for their splendid co-operation. They also lauded the work of volunteers.
The water pressure of the Elwood Water Company was excellent and proved a great factor in enabling the firemen to bring the flames under control.
Several theories were advanced as to the origin of the fire, but the definite cause has not been determined. The fired started in the basement of the retail and wholesale establishment and had gained considerable headway when discovered.
The flames were discovered almost simultaneously by Councilman Harold Orbaugh, district manager of the Cities Service Oil Company, who occasioned to be passing the store, and Patrolman Clyde Loser, who was making his regular rounds.
Councilman Orbaugh rushed to the fire department headquarters and sounded an alarm and Patrolman Loser pulled a nearby alarm box.
King Leeson, vice-president of the
R. L. Leeson and Sons Company said at
The flames had gained such great headway when discovered and spread so rapidly that there was no opportunity to remove any of the records or contents from the large store.
However, the records, including accounts receivable and other valuable documents are not expected to be damaged as they were locked in fire-proof safes, it was stated by King Leeson.
In 1877 Captain R. L. Leeson opened
a small store on the southeast corner of
The steady increasing business of the store made it necessary to obtain larger floor space and in 1882 a two story structure was erected on the southeast corner of South A and Anderson streets.
Business continued to grow and from time to time additions were erected to accommodate the extensive patronage. Finally a third story was added and then an addition was erected at the rear of the main building.
Later the hitch-yard in the rear of the firm was abandoned and a large structure was erected to accommodate the hardware department.
Following the death of R. L. Leeson in 1906 his son, Wayne Leeson, assumed the management and supervision of the store, being ably assisted by his two sons, King and Lawrence Leeson.
The store was operated under the name of R. L. Leeson until the sons were taken into partnership and then it was incorporated as R. L. Leeson and Sons Company.
The R. L. Leeson and Son Company operates a retail establishment while Wayne Leeson and Sons direct a jobbing establishment, which enables the purchase of merchandise at manufacturers’ cost.
The company represented six different buying organizations, which have approximately two hundred fifty stores in seven different states. It was one of the largest wholesale and retail establishments in the state and annually brought thousands of dollars to Elwood.
Researched and submitted by
Nancy
Sumner EHS/FHS ‘66