Centerville Burns: A Klickitat County Business Block Lost in a Night
An August 3 fire destroyed $15,000 in property—two hotels, a Mercantile Hall, a store, homes and the Knights of Pythias hall—with only small insurance.
Fire at Centerville, Klickitat County, August 3 destroyed property worth $15,000, with small insurance. The following buildings were completely destroyed: the Delmonico Hotel, Mercantile Hall and store, another hotel, a two-story building owned by Bunnell & Co., and the residences of Mr. Harvey and Mr. Crofton, the blacksmith and wagon shop of Mr. Harvey, and the K. of P. Hall.
“Fire at Centerville, Klickitat County, August 3 destroyed property worth $15,000, with small insurance.”
Small-town fire departments were volunteer and water supplies limited, so a single night could erase a town’s commercial core. Centerville’s loss echoes the fragility of rural Main Streets today, where a fire or closure can take out the few institutions that anchor a community.
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