The First House, Lost
A historic residence is reduced to ashes in Kettle Falls due to a faulty flue.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Fire broke out in P. M. Hackinga' cottage, on College avenue, about 6 o'clock Thursday evening. It started in a defective flue and was first seen when the flames burnt out of the upper story. Most of the furniture was destroyed and the building was entirely destroyed, as the fire had made much headway before it was discovered. The loss was $2,000, with no insurance. The house stood on a slight hill, surrounded by about ten acres of land, and was the first residence built in town. The grounds were laid out to fruit and shrubs, which were ruined.
“The house stood on a slight hill... and was the first residence built in town.”
The loss of a 'first residence' often marks a quiet shift in a town's history, symbolizing the transition from frontier origins to established community. It echoes the vulnerability of early wood-frame structures that defined the landscape of the Pacific Northwest.
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