On October 5 1909, Dewart Milling Company, Cooners General Store, and the Three Storey Brick Datesma & Heckel Hotel in Dewart were all destroyed by fire. (Shown Above, the ruins of the Dewart Mill)
On Tuesday October 5th 1909, Dewart suffered the worst fire in the history of the town.
The blaze was discovered at around 10:30pm, in the three story frame flouring mill.
The Dewart Mill
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| The Dewart Mill Before The Fire |
Albert Bersinger of Watsontown, and E.E. Hartman of Dewart had purchased the mill from the Dewart Milling Company just two weeks prior.
The mill was only about a year old, having recently been built just a year prior, at a cost of $22,000 with all of the most improved machinery, most of which had come from the Robinson Company of Muncy. The Mill was insured for $13,000.
The mill fire quickly spread to the general store of Samuel Cooner, next door, and to the grain house also belonging to Mr Cooner across the main street.
A frame building used as a carpet weaving shop, owned by A. Benner was also destroyed. It's loss was estimated at $500, and it too was uninsured.
The Heckel & Datesman Hotel Building
The ruins of the Dewart Hotel in 1909
And then the fire spread to what was known as the Heckel hotel building. That building, in 1909, was being used by Charles Sheffer, owner of the Dewart Creamery, for storage. It was a three story brick building and originally had cost $9,000. It's value in 1909 was thought to be approximately $4,000, and it was not insured.
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| A hotel is shown on this 1857 map, at the location of what today is cabinet surplus. I believe that is where the Heckel Hotel building was located, and that once it burnt down, Charles Sheffer built his creamery on that location. That creamery burnt down in 1911, and was replaced with the larger creamery, that today is the Cabinet Surplus building. |
While other local papers reported that the building was used only for storage, the Lewisburg Journal reported tht the Old Hotel was the principal hostelry in the town, "a three-story building 60 by 70 feet"
The brick residence of Mr Cooner, adjoining the hotel property, was saved from fire "with the greatest of difficulty".
Dewart, being without fire protection, was at the mercy of the flames. Every man and woman in the town went to work on the bucket brigade, and it was through their efforts that Mr Cooners home was saved. The Miltonian explained that the house had been covered in carpets that were kept soaked in water.
The Dewart Train Station
The Dewart Train Station was located on the "North Side of Main Street, West of the Tracks"
Here you can see the Rolling Mills to the right, on the other side of the train car. Train station would have been located in the area between the tracks and what is now Cabinet Surplus (but was originally the Dewart Creamery)
The Train Station was "afire several times, but was saved by the timely arrival of railroad employees from Montgomery. Had this building burned, it is probably that most of that portion of town west of the railroad would have been swept by the flames."
The public press in Northumberland specified "the saving of this building prevented the spreading of the fire westward and saved the portion of the town north of Main street, west of the railroad."
The Lewisburg Journal Reported:
"All of these buildings were on the main street on the east side of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The flamed spread rapidly towards the station. A call for help was sent to Williamsport, and an engine equipped with apparatus for throwing a steam from the tank was sent down. This saved the station, although the building was scorched. It also practically saved the town, for on the west side of the railroad, towards which the flames were spreading, was a row of frame houses closely set, but about a block. The fire burned itself out in the other direction."
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Find More Stories & History Of Dewart Here:
And more local history from the Susquehanna Valley here:
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READ MORE
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See Main Street Dewart Through the Decades Here:
See more of the Dewart Train Station Here:
The Dewart Creamery
The Dewart Mill
I've often wondered why so little appears to have been written about the Dewart Rolling Mills. Apparently it only existed for one year. One year after it was built, it was purchased by Albert Bersinger of Watsontown, and E.E. Hartman of Dewart , and two weeks after they took over operations, the mill burnt to the ground.
Samuel Cooner was the son of William Cooner, owner of the Cooner Hotel in Watsontown - which today is the Watson Inn. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/from-cooner-hotel-to-watson-inn.html
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