Kewaunee in Flames: The Fire of 1898

It was Kewaunee Lifesaving Station's hand fire engine holding the flames in check, thus saving both the Bank of Kewaunee building and the Erichsen Hotel before the fire department's big pumper could get to that end of the fire. The fire swept the area from Erichsen's barn on Main Street to the Hranach home on Kilbourn and the Jadin residence on Milwaukee Street. L.C. Fensel, Charles Metzner, J.J. Stangel, Wenzel Seyk, George Grimmer, Joseph Paulu, Charles Pavlik and more suffered losses as the fire moved through the business district.  And when a fire engine summoned from Green Bay pulled in at 5:00 A.M. on a special train, it was too late. Though the bank building and hotel weren't burned to the ground, loss was significant. Much of Kewaunee's business district was destroyed in that devastating fire in May 1898. Kewaunee's fire house is the subject of this postcard mailed in 1919.

The morning after the fire, the almost non-believing, bleary-eyed Kewaunee folk looked through still rising smoke at a loss that was beginning to set in. Occasional fragments of brick walls or a chimney still standing here and there made up the business district that had been so vibrant two days earlier. Streets were littered with debris from homes and stores; furnishings and goods either destroyed by blazing embers or perhaps destroyed by water. Fifteen substantial commercial buildings and at least that many barns went up in flames. Wooden sheds and outhouses were just added kindling. “Kewaunee of yesterday is no more,” was a comment echoed by men and women, who, in a few tragic hours, had seen their lives go up in flames.

By noon the next day some merchants had set up temporary stands and were talking of a new, more substantial and fireproof Kewaunee, one that would rise from the ashes. Looking back at the conflagration, city officials and leading citizens swore that never again would frame barns, sheds and lean-tos be permitted in the downtown area.

Kewaunee was a bustling town for several weeks after the big fire. Insurance representatives came into town to witness the losses, hear claims and make payments. Trains enabled visits  from newspaper reporters and those who could only be called gawkers from Green Bay, Algoma and Two Rivers. After all, such a fire was really something to see. Two Rivers Mayor Peter Gagnon headed a delegation  which offered any aid necessary in the emergency.

There were huge loses to buildings, fixtures, stock and so on. George Wing and John Wattawa lost their law library valued at $4,000, $1,000 of which was covered by insurance. Such a library was nearly impossible to rebuild. There were minor loses, too. John Rooney lost a sewing machine and $23 in cash. He didn't have insurance. Dr. O.H. Martin’s fixtures and books were ruined to the extent of $400 and John Erichsen collected $9 for damage to paint and windows on the Hotel Erichsen. Erichsen was the first to begin rebuilding and refurbishing.

Kewaunee's loss amounted to $68,875 of which $49,968.41was covered by insurance. Neighboring newspapers were commenting a month later that most insured parties had received their money and that building in Kewaunee would be brisk. Immediately following the fire, the Enterprise estimated loses would run between 80 and 90 thousand. Today Kewaunee's average home costs more than the fire of 1898. That puts inflation into perspective.

When everything was settled and rebuilding had started, the town resumed a normal way of life. There were rumors. The best was that the Volunteer Fire Department had, in the excitement, thrown the nozzle of the fire hose into the river and tried to hook the suction end into the pumper, but that was denied. The City Council passed an ordinance mandating brick construction in specific areas, and all others in downtown Kewaunee were required to be brick veneered or iron sheathed, with fireproof roofs. Fire hydrants were installed when the city laid a 4” pipe down the center of Milwaukee Street from the river to Ellis Street to take the place of the fire hose.

Ironically, it was just a few months earlier - February - when the Advocate noted the editors had received an invitation to travel to Kewaunee to witness the test of that city's new fire steamer. Green Bay Fire Chief William Kennedy was to lead a parade through the streets of Kewaunee during the auspicious event. Three bands were going to be playing at the affair which would conclude with a grand ball celebrating the reorganization of the fire department.

 Enterprise Editor Voshardt said, “While the fire will prove to be a serious blow to our fair city for sometime, who knows that it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Finer and more substantial buildings will take the place of those that were destroyed.”

The above postcard was mailed in 1906. In her brief message, the correspondent described the fire pumper, however whether or not it was the marvel of 1898 is not clear. Following the fire, though Kewaunee's Council decided against frame buildings in the downtown area, the Ellis Street postcard, mailed in 1912, suggests otherwise.

Sources: All postcards are from the blogger's collection. Information comes from the , Algoma Record, Kewaunee Enterprise and Sturgeon Bay Advocate.