One of the downtown buildings caught on fire late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning. It’s an antique store with apartments up above. Someone in the apartment tried to replace a fuse when they lost power and it started a fire around 1 a.m. The fire department – and departments from many surrounding communities – battled the blaze during the freezing temperatures (we had wind chills in the ‘teens-below’) and dark of night, on into the daytime. The building is a total loss. 11 people are without homes, but the community is rallying around them to help.
Lloyd and I have a bit of history with that building. Long ago the antique store used to be the headquarters for the detasseling company he worked for. Lloyd had an office in that place for … seven years?
I spent a summer living in one of the apartments with my friend Kathryn. In the fire photo, the two windows on the left were ours. My bedroom was the one with the air conditioner. (Second one from the left.) Here’s a view from the inside, 26 years ago:
I dug through the trunk to find some old photos. Gah – we were all so young and stupid back then! I had a job at a local mexican fast food place and was terrible at it. Kathryn worked at … the nursing home? She would cook potatoes and onions for dinner and once a week we would treat ourselves to McDonald’s for dinner. Ahh… meat!
This is Kathryn’s room. She had the cool furniture. I think the only thing I still have from those days is the children’s book on the top shelf.
This is a terrible view of the kitchen, with the bathroom in the background. (Hair dryer hanging on the wall.) I can testify firsthand about the electrical issues in that building. Over the mirror there was a bare bulb hanging on the wall with the pull-chain dangling below. If you opened the medicine cabinet so the chain was touching it, and also had your hand on the sink, you got a nice little shock running through your body. It took me several times to learn that lesson.
Here’s Lloyd visiting. Isn’t he adorable? Just a wisp of a lad.
Super-great fashion sense, too. Very avant-garde.
Anyway, good-bye 128 N. 5th St. You will be missed by this little town. Oh, I still have a mannequin from the basement that I ‘borrowed’ when Lloyd worked there. Er… do you want it back?
Brad says
Wow. A building on the square is completely burned? That’s a big deal! I wonder what will happen with it next.
I love the old pictures! More! More!
Deborah says
If you go to 1011now.com, you can find some videos of the fire. There were fire companies from 8 towns there. All volunteer. Thank you, volunteers!
Kristi says
I found the old window air conditioner and the tiny square television set.
Thanks so much to the volunteer firefighters! Our tiny towns can’t survive without them.
Lauren's mom says
26 years ago….Doesn’t seem that long ago. Almost yesterday.