HISTORY OF YUBA  COUNTY  CALIFORNIA 

by Thompson & West, 1879, with illustrations

Chapter XX - Fires - Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Dec. 2003.

Indifference of the citizens—First fire, August 31, 1851—September 10, 1851—Organization of Mutual Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1—Fire, May 25, 1854—July 18, 1854—October 22, 1854—November 17, 1871—September 7, 1879—Total loss by fire.

      During the first two years of its existence, the young city of Marysville was remarkably free from those disastrous conflagrations that had visited her sister cities and, lulled into a false sense of security by reason of this immunity, the citizens made no preparations for the fiery conflict, which though long delayed, was none the less surely awaiting them. But a series of destructive conflagrations in 1851, awoke them to a realization of their unprotected state, and turned their thoughts from the multitudinous cares of business to the dangers that surrounded them. The first baptism of fire occurred Sunday morning, August 31, 1851. The fire originated in a Chinese wash house on High street, and spread with the utmost rapidity. The buildings were chiefly of board and canvas, and so dry had they become in the long heat of the summer that in an almost incredibly short space of time three blocks of them were burning fiercely. The people were panic-stricken. There was no organization to combat the flames, and no one had the authority as a leader. The citizens, however, manfully disputed the advance of the destroyer, and in two hours succeeded in subduing the flames. The district burned was included between D, Second, E, First streets, the plaza, and the river. The flames were prevented from crossing D street by hanging blankets over the fronts of buildings and keeping them thoroughly wet. The buildings burned, eighty in numbers, were in the chief business portion of the city, and the lost was estimated at about five hundred thousand dollars. The old adobe building on D street was among the lost. The next day new buildings were commenced, and soon the whole territory was again alive with business. But ten days later the citizens had again to contend with the enemy. At one o’clock, Wednesday morning, September 10, 1851, flames were seen issuing from the rear of the wholesale liquor store of Mitchell and Nunes, on the south side of First street, west of D street. In half an hour twenty-five buildings situated between D and First streets, Maiden Lane and the river, were in ruins. Water carts were used to convey water to the scene of the conflict, and this was thrown upon the burning buildings by the excited citizens. The estimated loss was eighty thousand dollars. The origin of these fires was doubtful, although generally supposed to have been the work of incendiaries. Steps were immediately taken to form a fire department, which resulted in the organization of Mutual Hook and Ladder Co., No. 1, on the eighteenth of September. At one o’clock in the afternoon of January 23, 1852, a fire broke out in the American Hotel on Maiden Lane. The new fire company responded promptly to the call of duty, with their hook and ladder apparatus, and soon extinguished the flames. Again a small fire occurred on Thursday afternoon, February 19, 1852, in a vacant building on High street. This fire was also subdued before much damage was done. Thus by the organization of this company the city was happily saved from what might, in both cases, have been disastrous conflagrations.

      The year 1854 was a noted one in the fire annals of the city, no less than three fires occurring, two of them being very destructive. May 25, 1854, a fire was discovered in the Mansion House on the east side of D street, between Second and Third streets. The Eureka Hand Engine Company and the Mutual Hook and Ladder Company were quickly on the spot, and worked energetically two hours in their endeavor to arrest the course of the devouring element. The block bounded by D street, Maiden Lane, Second and Third streets was all reduced to ruins except the Empire Block. The flames there crossed D street and fastened themselves upon the theater and courthouse formerly the old St. Charles Hotel, and with a few exceptions destroyed the entire block between Second, Third, D, and High streets. Then they leaped over Third street and made some progress north, reducing to ashes the Presbyterian Church, and a number of dwellings between Third and Fourth streets. Here their progress was finally arrested, and the fire extinguished. The loss in this blaze was estimated at $158,550. The next conflagration was still more extensive and disastrous.  A fire originated in a Chinese house on the corner of Second street and Virgin Alley, about 10 o’clock, P.M., July 18, 1854, and although it was subdued in fifty minutes, so fiercely did it burn, that five squares, comprising over two hundred buildings were swept away. A high wind prevailed and spread the flames so rapidly that it was only with the utmost exertions of the small fire department, aided by the citizens, that they were subdued. The boundaries of the district burned were from the corner of B and Second streets to the corner of B and Fourth streets, down Fourth street to C street, north to Fifth street, west to D street to Second street, and then east to B street. It will be observed that this included some of the territory burned over by the fire in May, and which had been largely rebuilt. The Tremont House and City Hall were included in the loss, which footed up the immense sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The next blaze occurred at midnight, October 22, 1854, and originated in the unoccupied house on B street, between First and Second streets. Eleven houses were consumed, valued at eleven thousand dollars.

      The city was free from any disastrous conflagrations until 1856, when another of the old time visitations is recorded. At one o’clock, A.M., sometime in the month of August, 1856, a blaze was discovered in a stable on F street, between First and Second streets. The alarm was promptly sounded, and the whole fire department consisting of three hand engines and a hook and ladder company, responded to the call to duty. As the fire was on the river bank, two of the engines were placed on a ferry boat for convenience in working, but the clumsy craft succeeded in sinking with its precious burden, and the fire raged on. The balance of the department with the active assistance of the citizens finally subdued the flames after they had consumed about one hundred and forty-five thousand dollars of property. The burned district was in the heaviest business locality, and the loss great in proportion. It extended along First street to the Merchants’ Hotel, then up Commercial alley, on the south side of the plaza. Since this occurrence the city has only been visited three times by fires of a very destructive nature, and the facilities for extinguishing them now possessed by the fire department, place the repetition of any of the old scenes among the improbabilities. At 3:30 o’clock, A.M., November 17, 1864, fire was discovered in the rear of a clothing store under the old brick theater on D street, between Second and Third streets. The spread of flames to any extent was prevented, but the theater with the stores under it was entirely destroyed. The loss was estimated at $40,000. The next noted blaze occurred July 17, 1871. A fire originated at noon in Swain’s Sash Factory on Fourth street and spread towards the north. The whole block lying between D, C, Fourth, and Fifth streets was destroyed with the exception of the Presbyterian Church and a few dwellings. W. C. Swain’s factory, John Peffer’s factory, and Harrington’s factory were all consumed. The loss was about $80,000. About half pass eleven o’clock, Sunday night, September 7, 1879, a fire was discovered in the store of E. C. Ross & Co., on D street. A general alarm was sounded, and soon the whole fire department was on hand with the three steamers. The fire had made so much progress, however, that the firemen were unable to extinguish it until it had burned the stores of E. C. Ross & Co., N. D. Popert, and two houses on High street. The loss was about fifty thousand dollars, besides the damage to goods removed from stores in danger of being consumed.

      The loss by these large and destructive conflagrations aggregated a large sum, and taught a lesson of prudence and caution that should be well remembered. By this one item alone the city has lost directly nearly one and one-half millions of dollars, and were there consequential damages, such as the loss of trade, credit, etc., to be considered the total would be largely increased. The direct damages from the fires were:--

      A great many small fires have occurred, which owing to the efficiency of the fire department, have been extinguished before much damage was done, and it is to be hoped that the future has only such in store for this city.

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