The Midnight Blaze at Slaughter
A suspicious fire destroys a downtown block in the town of Slaughter, leaving citizens to form a bucket brigade to save the town's remaining structures.
Fire broke out at 12:30 o'clock this morning in the upper part of the two-story frame building on First Street, the main thoroughfare of the city, owned and occupied by C. J. Garland as a drug store. The upper floor was a hall used for public meetings, where the fire is believed to have started. By the time citizens were aroused, the building was lost. A bucket brigade was formed by every man, woman, and child in town, which successfully prevented the flames from spreading to the meat market of L. H. Pawley. Four buildings were totally destroyed, including a barber shop, a grocery, and a livery stable, with total losses estimated at $10,000. As the hall had not been occupied recently, there is strong suspicion that the fire was of incendiary origin.
“A fire brigade was then formed, every man, woman and child in town being in line, and buckets of water passed.”
The town of Slaughter was eventually renamed Auburn in 1893—the same year as this fire—to shake off its grim moniker. Historical fires were the primary threat to the stability of burgeoning towns, and this account details the literal 'all-hands-on-deck' civic response required to survive.
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