The Great Fire of 1900 - Prescott, Arizona
N 34° 32.506 W 112° 28.197
12S E 365115 N 3823210
How quickly can a miner's candle change the face of a town in 1900?
Waymark Code: WM97MX
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2010
Views: 21
Saturday night, July 14, 1900, a miner left a candle in the wall of his room in the Scopel Hotel on the southwest corner of Goodwin and Montezuma Streets in Prescott, Arizona. The fire quickly hopped across Goodwin Street and proceeded to consume all of the buildings on "Whiskey Row," leveling the entire block. Though some of the Plaza buildings were built of brick, many were wood, and the destruction was nearly complete. Over 80 businesses were consumed in the fire as it swept its way to Granite and Willis, destroying almost the entire business district. Within 3 days, towns folks were rebuilding their town with brick. Merchants set up their businesses in tents and corrugated metal buildings, and hastily constructed sheds in the meantime. Of the buildings standing at the time of the fire, only a few remain: The Prescott National Bank and the Bank of Prescott (both under construction in 1900), the Knights of Pythias Building on South Cortez Street, and the City Jail and Fire Station on West Goodwin Street.
The fire lasted about 4 hours, burning close to 4 blocks of businesses. No lives were lost. No one was badly hurt. Estimates claim that the fire did roughly 1.5 million dollars in damage. The city of Prescott emerged from the fire with more beautiful historic structures than the ones consumed by the fire.
Type of Structure: other
Other: 4 blocks of buildings
Fire Date: 07/14/1900
Structure status: Plaque
Cause of Fire:
miner's candle
Documentation of the fire: [Web Link]
Construction Date: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Give a narrative of your experience. Did you learn anything after reading about the fire in the waymark? Photos are always welcome too. Please no virtual visits.