Old pics in Howard

[Teresa]

1st pic.
Metropolitan Hotel, Howard, Kans. ( Where the First Natl Bank is now)


2nd pic..
West side of Main Street, Howard Ks


3rd pic
Ruins of Howards fire Mar. 28,  1908

Can anyone tell me where this was in town?
I know that where Cookson's  Hardware is.. that it used to be an opera house and the 2nd story caught fire and burnt.. but I don't know if this is a pic of it.

[genealogynut]

  This is another picture of the1908 fire shows the post office to.

[genealogynut]

    This is A Enhaned picture of Teresa's picture of the fire.

[genealogynut]

This is the news article that appears in the Howard Courant on April 3, 1908 regarding the fire.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE!

Opera House and Three Stores Destroyed

Loss $50,000, Partially Covered by Insurance


The most destructive fire in the history of Howard occurred last Friday morning, March 27.  The Elk County Citizen issued an extra from which we take the following account of the disaster:

This morning, Saturday, at 3:00 o'clock, Landlord Smith of the Metropolitan Hotel heard the breaking of glass and on arising saw smoke and flames issuing from the City Meat Market, on the west side of Wabash Avenue, and immediately gave the alarm.  The people were slow to respond but after they got to the ground strenuous effort was made to put out the flames, but were unable to do so until the buildings occupied by J. L. Roth''s grocery store, Yantis' meat market, Geo. Smith & Co's dry goods store and Barackman Bros. china store were burned.  The post office buidling was badly damaged but is still standing and it may be possible to repair it.

The corner building, a two story stone structure, was occupied by the post office and Heichert & Hubbell's jewelry and stationery store.  They carried a stock estimated at about $3,000 and their loss is about half.  The damage was principally from water.  They are fully protected by insurance. The upper rooms were occupied by Dr. J. F. Costello and McHenry & Organ, abstractors and lawyers; both suffered considerable loss from water.  McHenry & Organ carried $300 insurance on their abstract books which will partially cover the loss.

The next building on the north was occupied by J. L. Roth as a grocery store. Mr. Roth carried a stock estimated at $3,000 with insurance of $2,000.

Next on the north was T. J. Yantis meat market, his loss was $1,200 and he carried $500 of insurance.

The next building was the Opera House Block, owned by G. W. McKey and A. F. Eby.  The south room was occupied by Geo. Smith & Co's. dry good store and the north room by Barackman Bros. China store.

Smith carried a stock worth at least $16,000 and $9,000 insurance.  A large portion of his goods were carried out, though more or less damaged by the fire and water.  The insurance will probably make good his loss.  He is moving the stock across the street into the McKey building, north of Force & Goodwin's store.

Barackman Bros. carried $4,000 insurance on their entire stock.  Everything in the China Store was consumed, including a large stock of flour and feed, meats, etc.  The building next north, occupied by the grocery department was saved, though all the goods are badly damaged by water and smoke.  Their loss is fully double the amount of their insurance.

Upstairs in the Opera House Block was the dental office of H. C. Rush and Mrs. E. J. Kirby's millinery store.  Dr. Rush carried no insurance.  His loss is about $250.  Mrs. Kirby's loss is about $1,000 with $400 insurance.

The scenery, chairs, piano and fixtures in the opera house was an entire loss.  All of the band music, several horns and drums, which were stored in the opera house, amounting in value to probably $250, was burned.

The post office building is owned by A. T. Ayres and Mrs. Margaret Douthitt.  This building is badly damaged and the insurance of $4,000 will hardly repair the damage.

Dick Olmstead's barber shop was in the basement of the post office but all of his furniture and fixtures were removed and he is now "keeping shop" with Geo. Hostetler under the Howard National Bank.

The Courant office, in the back part of the post office buiding, escaped all damage.  Martin's feed store also escaped.

The building occupied by J. L. Roth was owned by W. M. Crooks.  His loss is $1,500 to $2,000 with abuot $1,000 insurance.

The butcher shop building was owned by McKey & Eby.  The loss on this building is about $1,000 with $500 insurance.

The Opera House Block was owned by McKey & Eby. This was a large double building and cost $16,000 and the owners carried $7,000 insurance.

This was perhaps the most destructive fire ever suffered by Howard, both in amount of loss of property and personal loss to individuals.  Not only is the direct fire loss heavy but the loss to the merchants by interruption of business will be heavy.

The wind was blowing a perfect gale from the north and it seemed for a time that the entire south part of town would have to go.  The old stone mill building, a block south of the fire, caught fire several times.  All the horses and vehicles were removed from Haile's barn as it seemed that it could not possibly escape the flames.

Mrs. Kirby has opened up in the Beal Hardware store.  Mr. Beal  having kindly allowed her to occupy space in the front of one of his rooms until she can secure suitable quarters.  She has received already a part of her stock and will be as well prepared as ever to serve the public.

By this fire Howard loses her opera house and it is very doubtful if private money will rebuild it.  We have heard severl express a willingness to take stock in a company to build an auditorium for the city.  The town will have to have something of the kind and the matter should be taken hold of at once.  An auditorium on the ground floor with a seating capacity of eight hundred to one thousand is what we need.

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Notes of the Fire

This was Howard's biggest fire.

It is likely the business rooms will be rebuilt at once.

Mr. Yantis has so far failed to secure a room to start up his meat market in.

J.T. Yantis of the meat market, was the only fire victim who failed to save his books.

The opera house was built in 1883.  The first troops to play therein was the Chicago Comedy Co., Robt A. Neff manager.

McHenry & Organ and Dr. Costello have opened out offices in the west room upstairs in the First National Bank building.