Theo. Elg was the first one who noticed the fire and he immediately started for the firemen's hall and rang the bell, which alarmed the citizens, a number of whom had already retired but responded and came to give their services if required.

    The bell seems to be a little weak for the purpose it was intended and a number of citizens had no intimation of what was going on until the fire had almost completed its work, and some not until the next day. Wm. Peterson and Rev. Kloster were about the first ones to arrive at the scene and when they saw that they could do nothing with the fire, sought to alarm the inmates of the house.

    B.J. Haugum and family, who occupied the residence part of the building, had already been awakened and ready to bring out their furniture and household goods, which was uninjured with the exception of a slight damage by breakage.

    Willie and Mr. Kloster then went upstairs in the other part of the building and aroused Mrs. Leva Anderson, the owner of the building, who occupied that floor as living rooms. She was asleep and not aware of her danger and when the men burst into the room, was somewhat frightened as may be expected.

    Thinking she was being attacked by burglars she stubbornly objected to being taken from the building. The fire had already then eaten its way up along the inside of the front of the building, where it started, and through the floor. The flames were already visible from the old lady's bedroom and even when her attention was called to them she refused to believe that the house was on fire and had to be carried struggling down the stairs and into the neighboring house. Ten minutes afterward the rooms were so full of smoke that no one could enter and nothing of her property was saved.

    During this time the fire pump had been ... started but through carelessness or negligence the chemical tank was empty and it took some time to start the pump. A stream of water was soon playing on the blaze and at one time the fire seemed likely to be got under control. Then a stop was made to put on a "Y" coupling and two nozzles. The fire gained somewhat and being hard to get at could not be successfully fought. It was kept in check very well, however, and at no time was there any danger to buildings in the vicinity.

    The fact that the space between was sawdust [note: apparently it was inside the walls as insulation. It was not uncommon for sawdust to be used as insulation at one time and with all the logging and sawing operations around Grantsburg, it sounds as though sawdust would have been abundant] would hold the fire in such a manner as to be very hard to quench. The origin of the fire is unknown and unexplainable. A theory that it was caused by an explosion was advanced, but the only explosion known of occurred during the progress of the fire, when it reached a can containing a small quantity of kerosene, which was stored among the effects of Mr. Davis, the cigar manufacturer who had rented the first floor of the store part of the building. It was in the front part of this portion of the building that the fire started and then worked itself up along the walls and last of all the residence part burned.

    Mr. Davis had about $1,200 or $1,300 worth of property in the building and had on it an insurance of $800 so his loss was about $400 or $500. Postmaster Haugum's furniture and householld goods were insured so that any damage that was sustained to them is fully covered. Hickerson & Anderson had about $50 worth of flour and feed stored there, which was also consumed.

    The building was an old landmark, having been built in the latter seventies by Oliver Olson, but some additions and alterations have been made since then. It was first occupied by Mr. Olson as a general merchandise store, Simon Thoreson at one time being a partner. After the former's death the business was closed out by his brother-in-law Levi Anderson.

    In the store part of the building have been located the post office at one time, a confectionary store by Peter Johnson, also at one time a watchmaker shop and after the St. Paul Bargain Store moved out three years ago Mrs. Lagerman occupied it for some time. After that it was vacant until W.J. Davis of Minneapolis rented it a few weeks ago for a place for the making of cigars. The building itself was insured for $1,000.

    After the blaze at the Oliver Olson building, the people of Grantsburg took steps to improve their response to fires. They bought a used fire engine but had no end of trouble in using it. At first it leaked so badly that it was useless and an expert had to be brought it to repair it. They staged a test of their new engine, but the fire completely consumed the old building in the time it took to build up a head of steam. Another time, they forgot to fill it with water. But eventually they worked out some of the problems. They also bought a new, much louder fire bell. After warning the town that it was only a test, the new bell was rung for the first time to everyone's satisfaction. The bank clerk reported that even when he went inside the vault and closed the door, he could still hear the bell.

    Even so, the danger of fire was not eliminated. Throughout her life, my Grandmother Mina (Myrland) McInnis had nightmares about the fire in Grantsburg in which the family home was destroyed when she was a little girl. When I was about 8, she gave me a music box that I used to play with at her house. She explained that when she was small her father, A.J. Myrland, had something on his desk that she loved to play with and that she had always wanted it, but it was destroyed in the fire before he gave it to her.

copyright 1996 Larry Myrland Harnisch