Early Morning Alarm at the Club Cafe
A quick-moving fire in the rear of the Kennewick Club causes minor damage to furnishings, highlighting the fragility of local businesses.
The fire department was given its first run in months about 6:30 o'clock Monday morning to extinguish a blaze in the Club Cafe in the rear of the Kennewick Club. Although the blaze was put out before any great damage was done, it was rapidly spreading and had it not been for quick work, serious loss would have resulted. The ceiling and walls and the covering of two pool tables were damaged in the Club, the loss being fully covered by insurance. But in the cafe the proprietor, Emil Johnson, did not fare so well. His loss will amount to about $50 with no insurance.
“The fire department was given its first run in months.”
Business fires were a constant anxiety in 1916 wood-frame towns like Kennewick. The mention of insurance coverage—or lack thereof—reflects the stark financial vulnerability faced by small business owners in the early 20th century.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.