RSS 1.0Great Salem Fire of 1914
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The Great Salem Fire broke out on June 25, 1914, and ultimately destroyed 1,600 buildings over 250 acres. More than 14,000 Salemites were displaced from their homes.
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Mildred Lougee Recounts The Great Salem Fire of 1914On June 25, 1914, fifteen-year-old Annah Mildred Lougee was living at 2 Fairfield Street in Salem with her parents, Arthur and Annah, and her siblings, Norman and Doris, when the Great Salem Fire erupted. The Lougee family owned the J. L. Lougee furniture store at 281 Essex Street, where they sought refuge as the inferno approached their home. Mildred's grandparents resided nearby at 31 Summer Street. In a detailed account, Mildred documented her family's ordeal, describing the fire’s progression from Boston Street toward their home on Fairfield Street. She also mentioned their neighbors, the Pinnock family, who lived at 4 Fairfield Street. Ultimately, the fire consumed all the homes on Fairfield Street. Mildred later married Edward Johnson, whose personal papers, including this harrowing account, were donated to the Archives.
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Theodore Crowninshield Browne Salem Fire LetterTheodore Crowninshield Browne Salem Fire Letter, 1914
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Our Cook House1914-06-01Postcard of members of the militia at their "cook house" on Broad Street.
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At the Refugee Camp: Forest River Park, Salem Mass. FirePostcard of tourists driving by the refugee camp at Forest River Park.
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Salem Mass. Fire: Red Cross Nurse Corps.Postcard showing the Red Cross Nurse Corps. section of the refugee camp at Forest River Park. Tents are numbered and a guide is included.
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Cooking Dinner at Capt. Latimer's Commissary Department, Refugee CampRefugees and National Guard members at the refugee camp at Forest River Park.
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Homeless: Salem, Mass.2013-11-19Newspaper caption: "Charlie Grey's family is ready to leave their home as the fire rages near Orne Street."
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Guarding Household Goods Saved from the Flames, Salem, Mass.1914-01-01Postcard of Mrs. Henry Reed and her daughter Helen with their possessions on Harvard St. There is a similar photograph in the collection.
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Men Looking at the Great Salem Fire1914-01-01A group of men looking at burning buildings during the Great Salem Fire.
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Militia Guarding Household Good Amidst the Ruins.1914-01-01Groups of miltiamen guarding a pile of household goods after the Great Salem Fire.
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Forest River Park, Camp of the HomelessScene showing the tents of the homeless at the refugee camp at Forest River Park.
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Refugees at the Milk Line1914-01-01Refugees filling their jugs at the milk line with militamen looking on.
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Militiamen Helping Remove Household Goods, Salem, Mass.1914-01-01A member of the militia helping a family save their furniture. Probably on Roslyn Street.
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[Mrs. Henry Reed and Her Daughter Helen]Mrs. Henry Reed and her daughter Helen guarding their possessions on Harvard Street. There is a similar postcard of this scene in the collection.
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Korn Leather Co. Salem, Mass, Origin of Fire June 25, 1914.1914-06-01Postcard of the ruins of Korn Leather Co., where the Great Salem Fire began.
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Conflagration as Seen from Gallows Hill, Salem, Mass.2013-12-18Postcard of the Great Salem Fire as seen from Gallows Hill.
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Bird's Eye View of Burnt Section of the Big Salem Fire, with the Fire Not Yet Under ControlPostcard showing a birds-eye view of the Great Salem Fire with the fire still burning.
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Canal Street Showing Three-Deckers on Fire, Salem, Mass.1914-06-01Postcard of burning houses on Canal Street. The writing on the bottom of the card says: "This house burned in fifteen minutes." On the side of the card: "This in 20."
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[Burst Water Main]1914-06-25Photo postcard of a broken water main. The break occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on June 25th at the main opposite the railroad station.
