The celebration of the Fourth of July at Alma was without doubt the most expensive thing of the kind ever before attempted in Southern Illinois. To be sure all of the fireworks that took place that evening were not on the bills or there would have been careful watching to see that it did not occur. Sometime after midnight of that day, the immense cannery belonging to Dr. W.S. Shrigley caught fire and burned to the ground. While it is not known positively, it is believed that the fire resulted from the display of fireworks given in the village that evening. It is presumed that the stick from a sky rocket carried sparks to the building where they smouldered for several hours before igniting and causing blaze sufficiently to be noticed.
About two o’clock, one of the nearby residents was awakened by the light from the burning building and even though the flames had gained such head-way that the total destruction of the building was foreseen, especially when then there were no facilities at hand with which to fight. The residents were absolutely helpless and they watched the destruction of their chief industry with saddened hearts.
This property passed to the control of Dr. W.S. Shrigley several years ago and he at once put it in condition for successful operation, and every season since that time it has increased in importance until it was reckoned as one the best enterprises of the kind in Illinois, and through it thousands of dollars found their way annually into the pockets of the producers and the workers of that vicinity. Dr. Shrigley carried insurance on the building and equipment to the extent of $10,000 and $250 on the stock on hand.
Hours before the fire had ceased burning the proprietor had decided on the immediate rebuilding and word to that effect had passed along the line. It is a remarkable spirit of thrift that is not daunted by such a disaster and Dr. Shrigley is insistent that the new plant will be completed in ample time to care for the present years crop. That is the spirit that will net down and Alma citizens are to be congratulated upon the possession of such a citizen.
The little Village of Alma, seven miles north of this city, was visited by a disastrous fire Monday afternoon and nearly the entire business section of the town was swept away by the flames. A total of fourteen business houses were destroyed including the Post Office building. The fire is believed to have originated in the hay barn of J.R. Clow which stood at the rear of his property on the street leading south along the Illinois Central Railroad. A large quantity of hay was stored in the barn and it is thought to have ignited by spontaneous combustion. The flames spread quickly to the large store building owned by Mr. Clow and then swept up the street running west from the Illinois Central depot. The large implement warehouse of B.G. Pullen, which stood south of the Clow hay barn, was also burned together with the contents. The losses as were given out Monday night are as follows:
B.G. Pullen, building and stock, $4500, insurance, $1100. I.O.O.F.P. Lodge, loss $600, insurance, $300; Citizens’ Bank building and Square, $1750, insurance, $400; J.R. Clow, large hay barn and contents, $3300, insurance and contents, $1600; J.R. Clow, store and buildings, $5500, insurance $2250; E.G. Ford, fifty tons hay, no insurance; Mrs. Jennie Dean, restaurant, loss $400, insurance, $400; J.W. Broom, merchandise, loss $7000, insurance $3000; Roy Gregory, restaurant, loss $400, insurance $250; C.M. See & Co., merchandise and building, loss $8500, insurance $2500; Berch & Fuller, Basket Company, loss $4000, no insurance; C.D. Tomlinson, barber shop, loss $500, insurance $300.
The post office building was entirely destroyed but Postmaster Winks succeeded in saving all the mail and equipment including stamps and money order forms.
After the fire had been under headway for some time, the Kinmundy fire department was appealed to for aid and they hastened to the scene of the disaster. The timely arrival doubtless saved the residence portion from destruction as the flying embers fired the roof of the Baptist church and other buildings were carefully watched until the flames burned out.
This is the second disastrous fire the little village has suffered within six months. On the night of July 4, the large cannery of W.S. Shrigley’s was burned to the ground. This was Alma’s chief industry and the loss was felt very heavily during the season. The fire Monday was even worse than the destruction of the cannery for the reason that very few of the owners of the establishments are prepared to stand such losses. Coming in midwinter as it did, the work of rebuilding is likely to be retarded owing to the probability of bad weather. Several of the persons were suffered in the recent fire have announced the determination to rebuild at the earliest possible day. They are an enterprising set of fellows in Alma and the little city will rise from it’s ashes, and will be the busy little mart that it was before.
The village of Alma was laid out and platted by John S. Martin in 1854. Additions have been made since by J.S. Martin, M. French, Samuel J. Tilden, S. McCullough, L.C. Pullen, N.D. Laughlin, L.C. Pullen, N.D. Laughlin, and J.W. Ross. The village is situated in sections 6 and 7, Alma township. The first stone house on the site of the original town was built by Dr. T.O. Hatton, father of Mrs. C.M. See. The town was first named Rantoul. As there was a town in the state by that name, the postoffice was named Grand Mound City in 1855. The town and postoffice were changed to Alma
Dr. T.O. Hatton was the first doctor, the first merchant, and the first postmaster. Other postmasters have been: J.S. Martin, R.C. O’Bryant, J.R. Sloane, H.L. Allmon, C.M. See, T.E. Mayes, N. Warner, MV. Helton, I.A. Sprouse, T.B. McCartan (incumbent), H.P. Winks.
The first teacher in Alma public schools was Hugh Moor. Alma has had as teachers, J.B. Abbott, J.E. Whitchurch, and J.S. Knisley - in all four men who were county superintendents of schools.
The first preacher in Alma was of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, by the name of Jefferson Hawkins. The first church was built by the Disciples, and was 40 X 30 in size in 1868. It coast $1,200. The Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1871 at a cost of $1,600, size, 36 X 46. The trustees were Josiah Gibson, Richard Wilson, J.W. White, J.B. Abbott, and John R. Sloane. Both the above buildings have since given way to modern structures. The Missionary Baptists also have a very comfortable house of worship.
Since Dr. Hatton, the following physicians have been resident practitioners here: J.B. Johnson, M.B. Losey, Dr. Boisdell, A.J. Hays, Dr. W. Noruski, Dr. Dean. S.L. Laswell is the present physician.
