Kerns Hotel was a 162 room hotel located in the 100 block of N. Grand Ave. in Lansing, Michigan

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...

, built in 1909 by William G. Kerns. The hotel cost $50,000 to build and was the first hotel in the state of Michigan that had running ice water.

On December 11, 1934, a fire broke out in the Kerns Hotel, killing 32 people and injuring 44 people, including 14 firemen. The hotel was made of wood and fire spread rapidly, trapping many people inside of their rooms. The alarm bell sounded at 5:30 am in the 211-room four-story brick hotel. Two of the injured people died later; amongst the dead were seven Michigan legislators, state senator John Leidlein

John Leidlein

John Leidlein was a member of the Michigan State Senate. He was one of those killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were state representatives Charles D. Parker, Vern Voorhees, T. Henry Howlett, John W. Goodwine, D. Knox Hanna, and Don E. Sias. The men were...

 and state representatives T. Henry Howlett

T. Henry Howlett

T. Henry Howlett was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from Gregory, Michigan who was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives Charles D. Parker, Vern Voorhees, John W. Goodwine, Don E....

, Charles D. Parker

Charles Parker (Michigan politician)

Charles Parker was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives D. Knox Hanna, T. Henry Howlett, Vern Voorhees, John W. Goodwine, and Don E. Sias,...

, Vern Voorhees

Vern Voorhees

Vern Voorhees was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives Charles D. Parker, T. Henry Howlett, John W. Goodwine, Don E. Sias, and D. Knox...

, John W. Goodwine

John W. Goodwine

John W. Goodwine was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives Charles D. Parker, T. Henry Howlett, Vern Voorhees, Don E. Sias, and D. Knox Hanna,...

, Don E. Sias

Don E. Sias

Don E. Sias was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives Charles D. Parker, Vern Voorhees, T. Henry Howlett, John W. Goodwine, and D. Knox Hanna,...

, and D. Knox Hanna

D. Knox Hanna

D. Knox Hanna was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives Charles D. Parker, T. Henry Howlett, Vern Voorhees, John W. Goodwine, and Don E....

, who were in town for a special session of the Michigan legislature. A number of other legislators were injured but survived; among them were Maurice E. Post

Maurice E. Post

Maurice E. Post was a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was a farmer in Rockford and represented Kent County in the legislature from 1933 until 1948; he ran for the Michigan State Senate in 1948, but did not survive the primary. Post was an alternate delegate to the...

, Charles T. Kimball

Charles T. Kimball

Charles T. Kimball was a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was a native of Jonesville, and represented Hillsdale County in the legislature. He was a survivor of the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing of December 11, 1934....

, and John Dykstra

John Dykstra (politician)

John Dykstra was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1927 to 1934. A Republican, he was defeated for reelection in 1934; he later unsuccessfully ran for Michigan State Senate. Dykstra was born in Holland, Michigan, and served as a street railway motorman outside of politics...

. Many of the hotel's 215 guests at the time escaped by the four fire ladders provided by the fire services, and eight people leaped out of the hotel onto nets. The fire is regarded by the Lansing Fire Department as the worst in its history.