Submitted story

Fighting the 1901 Fire

(Continued)

Several businesses were affected by the 1901 Urbana fire, which started at 118 N. Main St.

At 112 N. Main, the J.C. McCracken gift shop opened in 1893. It specialized in home items, especially tinware, imported china and stoves. Though the store sustained serious damage, it was open again by July 1901.

Cheetham’s Bakery occupied the building at 114 N. Main. The business was started about 1863 and lasted, under various owners, until after 1929. It suffered $5,000 in damages. The owner of the Boston Store claimed the fire started with their ovens, but investigators found that to be untrue.

The Boston Store, where the fire was ultimately thought to have started, was at 118. This is not to be confused with the Boston Store across the street owned by the Reich family. This Boston Store was a department store established in 1899 by Morris Peerless from Cleveland. He claimed $12,000 in damages, but was charged with arson.

The litigation that followed was long and convoluted, ending in his acquittal. This litigation will be discussed in a future article. He never returned to Urbana. The Mammoth Furniture Store (formerly Patrick Furniture) moved into the location after the fire. This was an upscale furniture store managed by W. M. Rock. This store evolved into the Rock Shop and eventually into today’s Guild Gallery.

Upstairs at 118 was a barber shop operated by Julius Weber, who also owned the Brunswick Pool Hall, across the street where spectators gathered to watch the fire. An article in the Feb. 21, 1901, Times Citizen describes how he planned to move his barber shop to the Douglas Hotel by April 1. Even though he suffered $1,000 in damages, he was open for business at the Douglas by July 24, 1901.

The National Bank of Urbana was located at 120 N. Main St. The bank claimed $10,000 in damages, but quickly reopened in the rooms occupied by the tailor William Given at 128 N. Main, which hadn’t been damaged as much. In 1928 the National Bank merged with the Champaign National Bank and moved across the street, at 201 N. Main.

The Times Citizen operated upstairs at 120. After the fire, they quickly moved to the Fisher Building on Miami Street and never missed an issue.

The Thomas Berry and Son Grocery was a large concern at 122 N. Main. They lost $10,000, including all of their stock except the canned goods. They were able to reopen later at the same location.

The Hogue Shop, another gift shop, was at 124 N. Main St. This had formerly been the Schiedt Brothers Tin Shop. They sold tinware and glassware. They reopened at the same place in May 1901. By 1903 they were doing primarily roofing and tin items.

J.B. Hitt had a cigar store at 126 N. Main in what was known as the Young Busser Building. He was known for manufacturing most of the cigars in the city. Although he claimed $2,000 in losses, he was able to move a large portion of his stock out before the fire got to his location. A June 1901 ad shows him on Miami Street opposite the Douglas Hotel.

The upscale tailor, William Given, had his business at 128 N. Main. Being so far north from the fire he was able to move his furniture and cloth out before serious damage. He reopened at the same location and, for a time, shared it with the National Bank of Urbana.

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The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Info from Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS).