RIDGWAY (Elk County) DOWNTOWN SUFFERS MAJOR FIRE IN APRIL 1910

 Ridgway experienced one of the most destructive fires in its history last Saturday morning (April 23). The fire started at one o'clock in the morning in the large planing mill of Hyde-Murphy Company, and before the flames were gotten under control destroyed property to the value of $500,000. The fire started in the engine room and being a frame building full of dust, spread with wonderful rapidity, and in ten minutes the whole building was ablaze. The flames at once spread to two dwelling houses, and a number of small structures used for storage purposes nearby, which were in the rear of a large block of three-story brick business houses.

An apartment house, three stories in height, went first, then another frame building of the same size, and finally the blaze spread to the business block, which was soon blazing fiercely. There was practically no wind, so that sparks were not carried, but the heat was of terrible intensity, greatly handicapping the firemen in their work. Calls for help were sent to surrounding towns, and DuBois, Johnsonburg and St. Mary’s responded with firefighting apparatus and men. The blaze had secured such an overwhelming start, however, that efforts to check it were unavailing.

The business buildings were all three-story brick structures and covered a total frontage of about 200 feet. Of the total estimated loss of $500,000 only 50 percent was covered by insurance. This low percentage was due to the fact that the proximity of the planing mill to the business houses made insurance rates very high. The block destroyed was the center of the business section, and was practically the only brick block in the town. The Jeffersonian-Democrat (Brookville, Pennsylvania) April 28, 1910 Page 8 (Edited)

Photo Credit: Public Domain - Old Photos of Central Pennsylvania