The Great Fall River Fire of 1928 occurred on February 2–3, 1928 and destroyed a vast portion of downtown Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...

. Although the city has had many other large fires, both before and after, the 1928 conflagration

Conflagration

A conflagration or a blaze is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, or property. A conflagration can be accidentally begun, naturally caused , or intentionally created . Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage or diversion, and also can be the consequence of...

 is generally considered the worst in the city's history, since it destroyed so many businesses at a time when the city's economy was already struggling from recent textile plant closings. By the time the fire was out, five city blocks were completely wiped out. Fortunately, no one was killed and only a few people suffered serious injuries.

The Blaze

At 5:45 p.m. on February 2, 1928, the fire broke out in Mill No. 2 of the Pocasset Manufacturing Company

Pocasset Manufacturing Company

Pocasset Manufacturing Company was a cotton textile mill located in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was located just west of Main Street across the second falls of the Quequechan River. It was organized on August 15, 1821, with $100,000 in capital. The mill began operation in 1822, with Samuel Rodman...

 on Pocasset Street.
It was a bitter cold evening and demolition workers had been dismantling the recently shuttered mills. The flames spread quickly through the mill complex. Within an hour, Fire Chief Jeremiah F. Sullivan sounded three alarms and called for outside help. By about 7:00 p.m. fire apparatus and departments from surrounding towns and as far away as Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 and Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...

 would arrive to provide assistance.

A brisk southwest wind caused the flames to cross Central Street and hampered fire suppression. The wind shifted again to the west, spreading the fire across North Main Street. The wind shifted again to the northwest and drove the fire across Bedford Street. Temperatures hit a record low mark for the season, causing the fire hoses to freeze and hampering the efforts of the firemen.

At 2:30 a.m. the fire was declared under control. City Hall was damaged but had been saved. Various buildings in scattered sections of the area were still burning though.

It was not until Saturday noon, nearly two days after its start, that the fire was officially declared out. Police, National Guardsmen and Naval Reservists also provided assistance with securing the fire damaged areas.

Total damage was estimated at $20,000,000, although the actual amount was widely disputed by local businessmen. The cause of the blaze was determined to have started with a spark from a Salamander heater

Salamander heater

A salamander heater is any of a variety of portable forced-air or convection heaters, often kerosene-fueled, used in ventilated areas for worksite comfort. Salamander heaters are most often found at construction sites. Depending on style, they can also be referred to as "torpedo furnaces",...

 being used by the demolition crew to keep warm.

Within just a few years, many of the banks and commercial businesses were rebuilt, including the Granite Block, at the heart of the business district.

Building destroyed

Five banks, three theatres, three hotels, two newspaper plants, twelve office buildings, a Jewish temple and a half dozen lunch rooms were destroyed.

• Union Savings Bank
• Citizens' Savings Bank
• Massasoit-Pocasset Bank
• Metacomet National Bank
• Fall River Co-operative Bank
• Rialto Theater
• Premier Theatre
• Mohican Theater Company
• Mohican Hotel
• Wilbur Hotel
• Bay State Boarding House
• Wilbur House
• Fall River Globe Newspaper Building
• Old Herald-News Building
• L'Independent Publishing company
  Early Franco-American newspapers
  From 1860 to the early 1930s, many Canadiens immigrated to the United States. They brought with them their language, customs, and religion, which was reflected in the newspapers they founded...
  
  
• Remington Building
• Bennett Building
• Granite Block Building
• Pocasset Mill Building
• Miller Building
• Telephone Company Building
• Kresge Corner
• Buffington Building
• Talbots Clothing Store
• O'Neil Hardware Store
• Beth-El Synagogue
• Central Police Station
• Bus Terminal

Selection of companies damaged

• United Cigar Store.
• Pen and Pallette, commercial artists
• Service Printing Company.
• Thomas G. Barious company, restaurant
• Conos Brothers, confectionery.
• Edwin J . Mills, deputy sheriff
• Eugene S . Sullivan, deputy sheriff
• Fall River Real Estate association
• Albert A . Belanger,publisher
• Frank Amber, barber
• Herman J . Legare, auctioneer
• Charles S . Graham, auctioneer
• J . H . Hickey, real estate and insurance
• Margaret I . Howarth, lawyer
• Graham Loan company
• Lake Mailing company, office supplies
• The Exchange, real estate
• Walker Tyewriter company
• Cook-Taylor Inc ., mill supplies
• Cash Brothers, Inc ., roofers
• Luxor Cab company
• E. V . Cloutier, chiropodist
• Cobb, Bates and Yerxa company, grocers
• Baldwin's Credit Exchange
• Alice Botway, dressmaker
• Herbert A. Borden, stationer.
• Brown company, druggists.
• George Collias, bootblack
• Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway
  Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway
  The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in eastern Massachusetts, serving most suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts...
  
   company information bureau
• Central News and Delicatessen company.
• Mohican Drug Company, Inc.
• Pacific Oil company
• Durfee and Canning company
• Eagle restaurant.
• City News company, news-dealers.
• Majestic restaurant.
• C. Warburton and Sons, florists.
• Crystal restaurant.
• The Norfolk Hosiery company.
• Joseph M. Madowsky, news agent
• American Optical company
• Anthony Brothers, music publishers
• Dana C. Everett, cotton broker
• McCartys' band and orchestra
• Fall River Publicity Bureau, publishers
• C. E. Gifford and company,jewelers
• Astor Lunch
• Massachusetts Income tax office
• Income Tax Assessors
• Fall River Historical Society
• Aetna Life Insurance Company
• Fall River Board of Underwriters
• New England Insurance Exchange
• Troy Co-operative bank
• Hathaway and Company
  Hathaway Mills
  In 1888, Horatio Hathaway, founded the Hathaway Manufacturing Company at New Bedford, Massachusetts for the production of cotton textiles. Hathaway had been a China trader, profiting from whaling in the Pacific....
  
  , cotton
• Bryant Chapin, artist
• Gagnon Printing company
• Ann's Kitchen, restaurant.
• Checker Taxi company.
• Fall River Navigation Company, Inc.
• Western Union Telegraph Company
• Staples Coal Company of Fall River
• U.S. Naval Reserves
• The Munroe Press, printers
• Burroughs Adding Machine Company
• John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance company
  John Hancock Insurance
  John Hancock Financial is a loose term for a United States insurance company which existed, in various forms, from its founding on April 21, 1862, until its acquisition in 2004 by the Canadian insurance company Manulife Financial. It was named in honor of John Hancock, a prominent patriot...
  
  
• Cotton Manufacturers association.
• New York Life Insurance Company
  New York Life Insurance Company
  The New York Life Insurance Company is one of the largest mutual life-insurance companies in the United States, and one of the largest life insurers in the world, with about $287 billion in total assets under management, and more than $15 billion in surplus and AVR...
  
  
• Fall River Granite P Quarry Company
• James Buffington,cotton cloth
• Aldrich & Hawkins, cotton
• Baldwin-Lesser Company cotton
• Edward T . Roberston P Son, cotton controllers
• Universal Thrift Stamp Company
• Fall River Blue Print company
• Flossie ' s Kitchen, restaurant
• Fall River Poster Advertising company
• Boston American
• Boston Advertiser
• Providence Journal
• McDermott Lunch company.
• City building department, garage
• Smith Oil company, Inc ., filling station
• Standard Vulcanizing company