ATLANTA, Texas - Fires in Atlanta's business district are not uncommon.
In fact, one news report from the 1970s said insurance companies had been on the point of refusing to write policies for the town's downtown area.
Here's a brief look back at fires as researched by Yvonne Vestal and printed in the town's Citizens Journal newspaper in 1979:
In 1889, a fire consumed an entire city block, plus a house, a two-story stable and two other single-story shops nearby.
Townspeople were suspicious. Arson was always a desperate possibility. Citizens went wild and formed well-armed relays who took turns guarding at night. Most often there would be no insurance.
In 1891, a news article congratulated women for carrying buckets of water in a firefighting effort, and some men were castigated for standing around.
On Dec. 27, 1928, in Queen City, Texas, fire struck a cotton warehouse and 1,900 bales were destroyed. The stock area had been discovered in flames at about 4 a.m. And manager H.V. Caver lost a Chevrolet truck. No insurance.
Perhaps the largest fire in Atlanta's history occurred Dec. 23, 1945. Eleven businesses were destroyed. These were Texas Coffee Shop, Fouche Barber Shop, Crow Drug Store, Atlanta Electric Co., Liverman's Cafe, Mrs. McAdams' Barber Shop, Lloyd Nelson's Plumbing Shop, G. C. Pynes Jewelry, O'Kelley's Grocery, Crabbe Furniture Store and Bedgood Brothers Barber Shop.
The fire was said to have started by an electrical short at Atlanta Electric Co. on the corner of Main and East Front streets.
In 1951, Mayor F. P. Ellis hired the city's first full-time fire department employee as fire chief. He was Dan Davidson. There were volunteers prior to his arrival, but these were not too reliable, the news article states. Some of the volunteers received pay to improve their efficiencies. Prior to the fire chief, the city owned one truck, a 1934 pumper operated by Cubby Blalock. He was known as the town's one-man fire department.
From Davidson's memory, a very large fire occurred Jan. 4, 1953, when the downtown Cass County Canning Plant burned. It never reopened.
In Sept. 14, 1976, five businesses under one roof were destroyed. These were Blythe's corner cafe owned by James V. Blythe; Cash Jewelers owned by Richard and Debbie Lucas; Martha Manning Fashions owned by Fred Manning; City Barber Shop owned by Derwin Grau; and Atlanta Times newspaper owned by Jessie Brooks.
Fire Chief John Bailey said losses could near $500,000. The fire seems to have started in the Atlanta corner cafe (as Blythe's was called) during the night.
When fires happened, especially in the older days, often little could be saved. Wooden structures, open fireplaces, a dry cotton economy, sometimes bucket brigades at best, etc., all contributed to a fire's quick spread.
A fire whistle perched on a pole between Miles Drug and the railway station would be sounded by a telephone switchboard operator.
To better fight fires through the years, much of the Atlanta Volunteer Fire Department's equipment would be purchased by the Ladies Auxiliary.