Our Past is Present February 28, 2017

February 28, 2017

You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society. It is sad when a business catches fire, but one evening two businesses caught fire. The first was the H. D. Thompson Bus and Livery barn, which caught fire on the evening of February 24, 1912. The fire caused damage to the hay stored in the loft. About 25 tons of hay were spoiled by the fire and water. The alarm was turned on at 10:00 that night. It started at the rear of the barn just after several employees had gone to bed. The employees reported that they saw no evidence of a fire and the origin remained unknown. The hay and grain were a total loss. The barn roof was almost completely destroyed and the horses had to be moved temporarily to the Central Livery Stable. Mr. Thompson was out of town at the time of the fire. The building was actually owned by M.H. Foss, who had insurance on the contents and the building.

While the Fire Department was busy fighting the fire at the H.D. Thompson Bus and Livery Barn that evening, the stable in the rear of the Murray Bakery had also caught fire. Three horses in that barn were scorched, but their blankets saved them from being badly burned. The horses and harnesses were taken out and the fire quickly extinguished with the only loss being a ton of hay.

We have a display of early fire-fighting equipment and pictures of early fire fighters in the basement at our Museum. Stop by for a few minutes or a few hours to visit and learn more about Geary County history. Our artifacts have been donated by Geary County residents displayed with meaningful commentary to help you learn more about why we say… This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.