Great Fire
Of Bethel

Some 130 years ago today, Dec. 10, 1877, Bethel’s greatest fire occurred.

According to The Herald of Randolph in a story printed 1977, the fire destroyed a large portion of Main Street. Large sections on both sides of Main Street were destroyed—especially on the west side.

The following is from an account that appeared exactly 130 years ago in the Bethel Courier. The account is excerpted here from the December 2007 Bethel Historical Society Newsletter.

The freight train that follows the night passenger train south went screaming through the village on Monday night a little before twelve o’clock. The few who were awakened suspecting mischief, looked out and saw there was a fire somewhere in the village. In a few moments the clangor of the bells startled others and soon the alarm became general.

The fire first broke out in the White River House, an early building used as a tenement house (where Mills Store and the Arnold Block now are). Appearances indicated that the fire was caused by the falling of burning soot through an open chimney hole into an unoccupied room.

The first of the building’s occupants to discover the fire was a young man named Patrick Garland, who with some difficulty made his escape, losing nearly all that he owned. There was no wind blowing, but the current of air set toward the south, and the flames extended in that direction.

The next building adjoining was Stearns’ livery stable. It was thought at first it could be saved, but the fire traveled too fast and the effort was given up.

The next building was the Guy Graham’s new block which was soon in flames (near present station). While this was burning, an attempt was made to tear down the grocery store of Aaron Davis, thinking the fire could be checked at that point. But want of facilities for doing the work prevented much progress and the effort was abandoned.

It was then thought that the only chance to check the fire’s progress was at the open space between Coy’s building and M.A. Moody’s store (now Central Market). This space was occupied by a small warehouse and shed covering some granite works.

Parties commenced to clear these out of the way, but the current of air set to the north and there seemed a fair prospect of saving the Coy building, and attention was directed to this object. In the meantime, by the change of wind, the fire caught in the furniture building (Blossom premises), and that was soon a mass of flames, endangering the upper portion of the village.

While Mr. Graham’s new block was burning, the fire reached across to the east side of the street and caught in the large brick store owned by Mr. Graham (opposite Mills Store. The attention of all being elsewhere, very little if any effort was made to save it and it soon burned down. A woodshed filled with wood just south of this also burned, placing Mr. Edson’s house in great danger (that was saved and is still standing).

Early in the fire, word was sent to West Randolph and Northfield, and the fire companies and others in those places responded as quickly as possible. They did not arrive, however, until the citizens had brought the fire under control.

When the people gathered and saw the work of devastation going on and themselves almost powerless to prevent it, they felt as though the whole village must go, and all along the street in both directions they began to pack their goods ready to move out.

After a little, however, plans began to take shape, the most available points were selected, carpets were spread on the roofs, and men, women and children went to work bringing water, and the flames were finally brought under control. Much credit is due to all, especially the women for the manner in which they worked in saving goods and carrying water.

(This event spurred on Bethel citizens to organize a fire protection service for the town. A small hose house was even built next to Mr. Edson’s and two hand-drawn hose carts were acquired by the town.)

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