Courtesy of the Forest-Area Historical Society. Additional information? email the Society .
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| F.D. Organized |
ire Department Organized.
The Village of Forest organized the Fire Department on August 3rd, 1931.
The fire chief was Morris Burk. The first assistant was Hallie Wright and the second, Elmer Burk. Herman Musgrave was selected as head horseman with additional horsemen, Leo R. Jones, Charles Kachely, Floyd Simpson, and Richard Willson. Other members were Ray Basinger, Carl Simpson, Richard Gobrecht, Roy Snider, Ralph Fernbaugh, Ralph Moore, and Azel Laughlin. Truck drivers were Hallie Wright, Elmer Burke (sic), Ralph Moore, Ralph Fernbaugh, and Carl Simpson.
Forest also purchased a new fire truck which was to be demonstrated during a money raising festival at Gormley park. All proceeds were to go to the purchase of rubber coats, caps and boots for the firemen.
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| Forest Fire Department |
Sometime in 1896 the members of the Fire Company were photographed standing in front of the Fire House on W. Lima street are: (left to right) Tommy Sharon, Louie Stout, Hew Schott, Frank Roby, Hew Harman, unknown, Darby Jenkins, Emerson Robinson, Gene Musgrave, Lou Craiglow, and Ott DeVore About the same person a photograph was taken in front of the early Forest-Jackson Fire Department which was located on the south side of W. Lima street. Bert Young is standing 5th from the left in the photograph to the left. He is holding his clairnet. The other members are unknown.
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| Wilson’s Concert Band |
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| Bert Young |
Later, in 1952, the firemen of the department can be seen on the roof of the fire house drying hoses or possibly repairing the roof? It was first thought that the photograph depicted the demolition of the fire house, but that assumption was incorrect according to Ms. Cheri Daniels, a local resident living next to the fire house. The building was still standing in 1957.
In April, 1971 James Elwood lost nineteen of his steers and a large amount of hay to a fire which broke out on his farm near Forest. Firemen fought the fire for more than two hours before bringing it under control. Also lost was an abandoned farm house.1
Cheri Daniels wrote, "Our family lived in the house just to the right of the fire house until 1957, when we moved to Cincinnati. Our father was an active volunteer fireman until then, almost always the first one to open the house when an alarm sounded. Our house was later torn down and replaced by the municipal center. If the photo is from 1952, then it might be some roof repair work or perhaps working on the hanging of the hoses to dry them out. In June, 1952 the Forest Volunteer Fire Department expanded their service with the purchase of a 1,200-gallon tank truck. At the time the Department serviced Jackson Twps. in both Hardin and Wyandot Cos. and south Delaware and east Blanchard Twps. in Hancock Co." 2
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1unknown newspaper, 13 Apr 1971, p.13, c.6.
2email. Cheri Daniels (cheridaniels7@yahoo.com) 11 Dec 2006
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June 27, 1996
To the Forest-Area Historical Society,
For many years citizens of Forest were called to fight fires in the village by the ringing of a bell located at the City Hall on west Lima St. There were two ropes dangling from the bell by which the bell was rung. The ends of the two ropes were looped and hollow wooden handles fitted in the loops. With your two hands gripping the two handles of the ropes, you could cause the bell to clang rapidly and effectively. Citizens would rush to the station on foot or by automobile to assist in moving the equipment to the scene of the fire.
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| Fire Truck |
The equipment consisted of a ladder cart which also carried a supply of water buckets, a hand pumper which was manned by several persons operating the long-handled pump, a hose cart with a large reel to carry the hose, and a chemical cart with one or two cylinder tanks filled with water and chemicals to generate pressure when the two liquids were combined. These pieces of equipment became obsolete when gasoline-powered trucks became available. A token payment was made by the village to the person who furnished the dray or the automobile used to pull the equipment to the fire. There were two drays operating in Forest. It was always exciting to see the two teams of horses race to the fire station when the fire alarm sounded.
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| Big Four R.R. & Dickelman Mfg. Co. |
When an automobile was used, two or three men would ride in the truck of the car (with the trunk lid up) holding on to the handles of the equipment. At one time, going to a fire in the south end of Forest, one of the cars traveled too fast causing the wood spokes of the wheels to come loose and fly from the wheels. By the time the equipment arrived at the scene of the fire, most of the spokes were gone. A story is told of a fire many years ago in the east end of Forest calling for the use of the man-powered pumper. Several volunteers lined up to man the long handles on the pumper. Those who were pumping had a desire to see the fire at a closer distance so, one or two at time left their post and walked to the fire. Finally the pumper was left idle while the volunteers watched the building burn!
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| Big Four R.R. & Dickelman Mfg. Co. |
The fire bell, which was used to announce the big railroad fire of July 20, 1927, was replaced by an electric siren which was mounted on the roof of the Burk & Fox Company on North Warner street. Electric power came from the company’s switch board. Push button switches which were used to operate the siren, were located around the town. One was located at the telephone switchboard where fires were most often reported. Another switch was on a light pole near Jones Hardware; one at Burk & Fox; one at the home of the Chief (Morris Burk); and one at the fire station. Later the siren was re-located from the Burk & Fox plant to the Fire Station.
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| Opera House |
I served on the Forest Volunteer Fire Department for about 18 years starting in 1941 when I returned to Forest from Columbus, Ohio. I recall some large fires fought by our department. The Opera House on East Lima street on February 3, 1946 was among the worse. I drove the fire pumper to that fire about 10:00 p.m. A smaller pumper (built by the firemen) went out of service due to engine problems so Kenton was called to assist us. The hose attached to the pumper I operated was pulled to tightly causing it to break at the pump connection. I was sprayed with freezing water. I made a quick run home to change clothes and returned to man the hose & nozzles. I remember also the big fire at the Kenton Armory and the Stockyards.
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No doubt the worst fire in Forest was the railroad derailment and subsequent fire back of the businesses on Lima street and the Dickelman Co. offices July 20, 1927. Another fire was at the old Ford garage just west of the Big Four railroad crossing on Lima street. That was the night I got too close to the building and fell into an old fire cistern!
5/27/1996
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cott House Fire, 1892.
There were two destructive fires within twenty-four hours which burned the C.A. Metler residence and a Carriage and Blacksmith Shop. The Old Hotel, known as the Scott House and its adjoining building were destroyed. Moses Woodside2 was killed and others Injured.
The article references: Dr. L.A. Perce, J.W. Clark, the Big Four Railroad, the P. Ft. Wayne. & Chicago Railroad, John Nye, Obe Anderson, I.F. Shafer, David Harman, Rev. Eli Wells, Thos. A. Scott, and Dr. Swimley. 3
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1Forest Review (Forest, OH) c1892. Clicking on the image will allow you to read the entire article, but be aware that it was in very poor condition and difficult to read.
2Moses (age about 21) was the son of T.J. Woodside.
3The Forest Review (Forest, OH) 2 Mar 1892, p.3, c.4-5.
ickelman Fire, 1927.
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| Consuming the Depot |
On July 20, 1927 a Pennsylvania railroad train wrecked at the crossing of the Big Four and caused a fire at the Dickelman Manufacturing Co. plant.
The fire occurred around 5:30 a.m. and consumed the south side of the Dickelman plant, the depot, and the switchman tower.
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| Watching the Dickelman Fire |
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| Fire - 19271 |
The damage was caused by an explosion of two tank cars of Benzol which started the blaze that threatened the town. The Union Station, the Office Building of the Dickelman Mfg. Co. and twenty-one train cars were burned. Around 5:30 a.m. a car on the east bound Pennsylvania freight train jumped the track just west of the Big Four crossing causing a wreck. In front of the Dickelman Mfg. Co.’s office east of the depot, two cars piled up in the wreck exploded setting off the fire. A stream of fluid flowed into the basement of the office building igniting the building and nine cars sitting on a side track.
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| Burning Box Cars |
The fire caused several cars on the track near the Farmer’s elevator, known as the Lindsay Elevator, which was located behind the First National Bank to ignite causing the elevator to catch fire. Fred Wright, with heroic effort, donned his WWI gas mask, passed through a dense wall of black smoke, and hosed down the elevator, saving it and the main business section of Forest. Chief Frank Wentz and volumnteers from Forest, Kenton, and Upper Sandusky sprayed water on the fire for four hours by having a hose strung from the Gormley Pond in the park to the fire. It was assumed at the time that the pond could supply up to three days of water before being emptied.
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| Much Destruction |
The First National Bank’s books and records were moved to safety by Cashier McElroy. About 1,000 feed of railway trackage was destroyed, a new interlocking switching system was damaged, and the depot was destroyed. Merchandise on the destroyed rail cars consisted of poultry feed, benzol, shingles, lumber, corn, alm stayes, curled harr, and cotton seed soap stock. Three wreck-train crews of 150 men were used to rebuild the two damaged tracks. Later the same day traffic on the railroad was back in operation. The Dickelman Mfg. Co. office was damaged beyond repair and with little insurance coverage the building was never rebuilt. The building had housed six offices and storage facilities. Due to the basement fire books and records was salvaged only by heroic effort and few of those were actually saved. Lost were original drawings, mailing lists, electrotypes, circulars & printed matter for the fall season. Most of its 38 years of business history was destroyed.
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| Dickelman Mfg. Co. Buildings |
A temporary central offic was established in the lumber yard of the company with a private office opened in the residence of Mrs. F.F. Swimley. Work resumed two days after the fire with Miss L.L. Dickelman, President & Gen. Mgr., informing the public that a new office building would be errected in the near future.
An earlier wreck occurred at the same spot on May 28th, at which time a tank of corn syrup was spilled in front of the office building, much of which drained into the basement causing damage.
Records and tickets from the depot was rescued by E.J. Bogan, the joint agent. He later established a ticket office in the freight office (currently the Forest-Jackson Public Library).
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| After the Smoke & Fire Ceased |
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| Workers |
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| Destruction |
Just about everyone in Forest and many from the surrounding towns & villages were present to watch and help with the fire. Fire departments from Kenton and Dunkirk responded beside others.
Robert Paris Lehman, who lived on the northwest corner of Lima & Mary streets at the time of the wreck aftermath, is the individual climbing on the box car and wearing no shoes! He died October 12, 1991 at Medina, Ohio and is buried in Rittman, Ohio. The individual walking away from the camera is unknown. Norman Wright2 knew this individual and indicated that he worked for the Big Four railroad at the time of the wreck. Norman could not remember the individual’s name. Rodney Burk, also at this fire, wrote about it in one of his many articles to the local historical society.
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| Aftermath |
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1Forest Review (Forest, OH) 20 Jul 1927.
2Norman was the brother-in-law of Robert Lehman. Norman died at Upper Sandusky, Ohio at 10 p.m. December 12, 2005 at 88 years old. His brother, Thurman Wright, 93, died at Findlay, Ohio one hour and 15 minutes later the same day.
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| After the Rahrig Garage Fire |
ahrig Fire, 1940.
The Ohlan Rahrig garage fire on West Lima street at the railroad crossing, looking northwest. Neither the individual nor the date of the photograph is known.
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| Rahrig Garage Fire |
To the right is another individual at the Ohlan Rahrig garage fire on West Lima street. Neither he or the date of the fire is known. It was speculated that the fire was arson. Rodney Burk mentioned this fire in one of his many articles to the Forest-Area Historical Society.
erzog fire, 1941.
A "dinky" engine at the Hezog Lime and Stone Co. quarry just south of the village caught fire while being filled with gasoline. The fuel had been ignited by a coal stove used to heat the wooden cab. As explained by, M.L. Burk, fire chief at the time, the fire was extinguished after the $1,000 cab was complete destroyed.1
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| McDaniel Fire4 |
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| McDaniel Fire3 |
cDaniel Auto Service Fire.
The McDaniel Auto Service fire occurred in the afternoon of February 20, 1941.2 Everett McDaniel sold Sunoco gasoline. The garage was damaged for some $5,000.
Mr. McDaniel is the individual standing in the center front of the photograph above. The McDaniel Auto Service was the location of the East End garage eventually. Norman Wright, proprietor of the East End garage, operated his garage in this location from mid-1946 to the mid-1970s.
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1Lima News (Lima, OH) 23 Feb 1941, p.4, c.4.
2ibid.
3Jack & Martha (Simpson) Cramer collection.
4Steve Rabberman collection.
nights of Phythias Fire, 1946.
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| Knights of Pythias Fire |
The Knights of Phythias building is shown is most of these photogrpahs. It was located on the south side of Lima street between Gormley and Warner streets. It occurred at approximately 10 p.m. the night of February 3, 1946.
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| A Lost Cause |
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| Pumping Water |
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| East End Garage |
Norman Wright’s East End garage can be seen in the extreme left background of the photograph on the right. In the foreground is more of the destruction caused by the Knights of Phythis fire in 1946.
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| NWOVFA |
orthwest Ohio Volunteer Firemens Association, 7 Jun 1903.
The Forest Fire Department at the NW Ohio Vol. Firemen’s Assn. parade in Delphos, Ohio, June 7, 1903.
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| Legend |
Included on the Souveniour photocard was the Firemen, Bandmen, & Others As They Appeared in the Line of March as shown below. The legend was printed on the back of the photocard by the photographer, A.E. Weger of Delphos. The photograph was an 11"x14" photocard. Printed on the front of the photocard was: Souvenior of the 13th Annual Convention of the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Firemen’s Association
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| Parade |
arade "Line of March."
ands at Delphos. NWOVFA, 7 Jun 1903
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| Bands at Delphos |
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| Northwest Ohio Firemens Association |
Somewhere in these photographs are members of the Forest Band, the Fire Department, and the Hook and Ladder Company.
It was quite a parade by the number of people shown in this photograph. A close examination of the photograph will show people on the roof tops and where the firemen had their headquarters.
lanchard River Floods.
The Blanchard river which runs through the area has caused flooding at times. These are views of the Easter Sunday, April 23, 1913 flood in Forest. There is no information about the identities of the individuals standing on the railroad tracks of one photograph. The buildings and their owners shown the photographs are unknown.
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| Kids on the Tracks |
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| Emmett Lehman in the Boat |
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| Kids Around the Mile Marker |
One photograph is of kids around a Pennsylvania railroad mile marker.
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| Blanchard River Bridge |
The is a photograph of a rather large group of people are assembled on this bridge across the Blanchard river. The photograph may have been taken at the time of the flood, but this has not been confirmed. No individual in the photograph has been identified though some of the individuals are students as they are wearing their "letters". One letter looks like an "A" instead of an "F".
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| Unknown Home |
Several photographs are of Earl Hempy, Grace (Caughey) Price, Emmett Glenn Lehman, and Elma (Payne) Buess are in a small rowboat. In one photograph they are floating in front of the Hooker residence on Lima street, but there is no information about the identity of the individual sitting with his feet in the water. It is not John Hooker though John Hooker eventually lived in the house seen behind them, but he was not born at the time of the photograph.
Pedestrian and vehicle travel during the flood was definitely inconvenient. For vehicles, though difficult, moving through the water was probably easier than today with the narrower wheel widths, greater axel heights and the porous spoked wheels of the time.
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| One Boat. |
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| Two Boats |
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| Vehicle Travel |
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| "X" Marks the Spot |
The photograph [below left] displays the location of the Waltermire residence. The residence has been enlarged in another image and two individuals show in the photograph have also been enlarged [below right].
In the 1960s a flood helped to produced these two photographs which were taken showing the scene at the back of Harvey Hune’s residence. The other is of a trailer behind the Hune home either during or just after the flood.
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| Waltermire Home |
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| Two Unknowns |
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| House Trailer |
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| Hune Home |
Sometime in 2006 flooding caused huge piles of chaff to be carried onto roadways throughout the county causing problems with several area roads. State Routes 68, 37, and 53, along with County Road 175 were closed due to the flooding. Also, sections of CR175 closed due to the flooding and remained closed several additional days so piles of deposited chaff could be removed.
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| Snow Pile-Up |
now Storms.
This photograph was taken in January, 1945 about one and a half miles outside of Forest on SR37. Cleared snow was piled along the sides of the roadway
ornado! Hits Forest in 1886.
In his book, The History of Dunkirk, G.M. Kingsbury describes a tornado which occurred in Hardin county in 1887. The newspaper article is from the May 16, 1886 Oregon state newspaper, The Oregonian. The book and the newspaper article are very similar and as the book on Dunkirk history was written in 1901 the author was probably in error as to the year.
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| Morning Oregonian |
On the night of Friday, May 14, 1887, the western part of Ohio was visited by one of the most destructive storms known in the history of the state. While great damage was done to property throughout other communities, its effects in Hardin and Greene counties were particularly disastrous. The destruction in Greene was largely caused by flood, the damage in Hardin principally by the great force of the wind; it partook of the character of a tornado, the effects being similar to those of the tornado which visited Fayette county the preceeding September, nearly destroying the entire town of Washington, C.H. Commencing in the western part of Hardin county the storm traveled in a northeasterly direction over a course of about eight miles, leaving destruction in its path. It passed out of Hardin county at the northeast corner, and did great damage in Wyandotte county.
Between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock, on Friday night, May 15, 1887, Hardin county was visited by a cyclone, it being the third one that had visited the state during the week. As near as we can ascertain it came down in Cessna township at a point about two miles west of Kenton and Dunkirk pike, taking a northeasterly course, the width being from 200 feed to 40 rods and leaving a trail of destruction as it went. At James Fisher’s home it devastated his house and injured five of his family; from there it came to Wm. Burdett’s and destroyed a part of the house and demoralized his farm, and then crossing the road it struck the farm house of Wm. McElree, killing him and seriously injuring his wife and three children. It next struck E.V. Hostler’s barn, riddling it and unroofed his house. Then crossing wheat fields, orchards, etc., it came to the farm house of Rufus Lease, completely ruining it, injuring himself and nearly instantly killing his wife; his little three year old child had an arm broken. Across the road from Lease’s lived Thomas Pierson in a comfortable frame dwelling. This was completely turned around and left on the same foundation--no one was injured there but great damage done. The cyclone then changed its course a little to the north and striking the Disciple church soon whirled it to destruction. Next it struck the farm of David Higgins, on the bank of the Blanchard river, unroofing his house, destroying his orchard, ruining his horse barn and damaging his large frame barn. Then it crossed and recrossed the Blanchard river, leaving broken trees, fence rails, lumber, dead fowls and animals in that stream until it reached the buildings owned and used by the P.Ft.W.&C. Ry. as a water and pump house, demolishing the engine house, and unroofing a part of the water tank,leaving it full of debris, into which a passenger train ran doing some damage to the ears and passengers. then recrossed the Blanchard river and swept out of existance the Center school house on the Forest-Dunkirk pike, and from thence passed on through fields and woods until it reached the cottage occupied by Al. Packard, at the edge of the Forest corporation. This building was completely scattered to the four winds and both Mr. Packard and his wife carried a distance of fifty feet with the building, and seriously but fatally injured. On went the ball of electricity, tearing down trees, leveling houses and barns until it reached the elegant farm residence occupied by Mr. Thomp Moore, one mile north of Forest, where it lifted the building from the foundation and carried it twenty feet and twisted it into a thousand pieces. In this building was Mr. Moore, wife and daughter, Mr. J.V. Thompson and Charles Picket, all of whom are alive today, although several were injured. Mrs. Moore and daughter reached the cellar in time to escape being carried away with the building, but Moore, Thompson, and Pickett took the swiftest ride of their lives and landed about one hundred feet from the foundation, badly bruised.
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| Big Oak Church |
From here the current crossed the track of the I.B.&W.Ry. into Wyandot county, completely destroying the school house and the Big Oak church, scattering the farm houses and barns for many miles on it route. As near as we can learn from those who claim to have seen the cyclone it was a flaming ball, shooting from all sides blue balls of electricity and moving with lightning rapidity. Mr. Moore says it played with him, spinning him around like a top and then all of a sudden leaving him on the ground near the ruins of his building. Mr. McElree arose from his bed and attempted to save his children, when the walls of his brick house caved in and covered the entire family up, and it seems almost a miracle that they all were not instantly killed.1
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1Information taken from material originally published under the title "Dunkirk, Past and Present." Vol. I: History of Dunkirk. Dunkirk, Ohio by G. M. Kingsbury.: Standard Print. Co., 1901-1902.