History of Caro's first fire, Tuscola County, Michigan

Copyright © 1998 by Bonnie Petee. This copy contributed for use in 
the USGenWeb Archives.  

 

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Caro Fire

Taken from The History of Tuscola County, Biographical Sketches and Illustrations, 
H. R. Page Co., Chicago, 1883. Thanks to Bonnie Petee.


The first fire of any importance that visited the village of Caro, broke out about 
4 o'clock in the morning of Friday, June 29, 1871, and was described as follows: "The 
fire was first discovered by Mr. David Hemorick, livery and stage agent.  He noticed a 
smoke issuing from the engine room attached to the building of Mr. E. Belmer, but 
supposed they were firing up for the day.  He finished his business with the stage, 
returned to the barn and hitched up a team, and when riding past the second time, 
discovered that the engine house was in flames. The buildings destroyed were all the 
property of Mr. E. Belmer, who was absent from home at the time, and consisted of a 
wagon and blacksmith shop, the back end of which was used as a woolen-mill, and 
directly back of this was the engine house, and a few feet from this a good sized barn.
On the west side of the shop was Mr. Belmer's new building, occupied by the marble 
works, D. C. Bush, clothing merchant, and the second story by F. A. Leasia, tailor.  By 
the time a sufficient number had arrived, the flames had made such rapid progress that 
the saving of the shop was considered an impossibility.  The house on the west side, 
and about thirty feet from the shop, required immediate attention, and was saved by 
hard work.  And in saving this the Advertiser office and all the upper portion of State 
Street, consisting of eight or ten business places, were saved.  The marble shop was 
about ten feet from the burning building, and time was only had to clear the burning 
building, when the flames drove those at work away.  The contents of the store and 
tailor shop were all saved, also the windows and a portion of the glass front."

"The engine had been in use the previous day, and was closed up about 6 o'clock in the 
evening.  Everything was made secure, as was supposed, and an examination of the 
vicinity at 10 o'clock that evening revealed nothing unusual.  It is supposed by those 
acquainted with the premises, and the construction of the engine, that a coal dropped 
out and set fire to the wooden frame on which the engine was standing, before the 
engine was closed, and burned slowly until the next morning."

"The loss falls heavily on Mr. Belmer, as the property destroyed had been accumulated 
by years of hard labor, and was not insured. His loss in buildings and tools is 
estimated at $4,000.  His house and household goods were mostly saved, yet damaged 
somewhat."

"The carding machine was the property of Mr. Robert E. Miller, and was brought here 
from Lapeer last winter.  His loss will amount to about $1,000. no insurance."

"The marble works lost in building and stock about $1,000.  Tools all saved."

"Messrs. Quick and Smith lost all their accounts, and a set of carpenter and joiner 
tools.  The other tools in the shop belonged to Mr. Belmer.  Their loss was not more 
than $150."












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