Hotel at Equality and Residence of Lon Thomas Destroyed by Fire, Coosa, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/coosa/newspapers/equality.txt ==================================================================== USGENWEB PROJECT NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Ronald Bridges ==================================================================== May 2001 "Hotel at Equality and Residence near Nixburg Burned The hotel at Equality was destroyed by fire last Sunday night. The fire was discovered about midnight by a little son of Geo. T. Willbanks, the proprietor, who gave the alarm just in time for the inmates to escape. The origin of the fire is unknown. The hotel and contents were the property of Geo. T. Wilbanks, was valued at about $4,000, all completely destroyed. It was insured for about one-half the value. This building had stood for about a one and half century, having been built before the war between the states, but had been remodeled and much improved in recent years. The residence of Lon Thomas, a colored man residing two miles northeast of Nixburg, was destroyed by fire last Monday night. A boy went into a room in which seed cotton was stored with a lamp and carelessly dropped it and it exploded in the cotton, setting it on fire. The proprietor in endeavoring to extinguish the fire was burned about the head, causing painful but not serious injury. The house and its contents was of the value of about $500 - no insurance. " (1) (1) The Chronicle, Hotel at Equality and Residence near Nixburg Burned, 3 Dec 1909, p. 5. Published in Rockford, Coosa Co., AL. Microfilm: Located in the Alabama Archives and History, Montgomery, AL. Researched by Ron Bridges on 18 May 2001.