MANOR FIRE DEPARTMENT

Part two - 1932

While it appears that the Manor Fire Department had evolved to the level that it played a major role in preventing many buildings in the very middle of Manor from going up in flames in 1930, just two years later they were not so lucky. This story from the The Austin American on Sunday, March 27, 1932 gave the details of the downtown disaster:

$75,000 Manor Fire

Business Block on Highway is Burned to Ash

"Another disastrous fire swept both sides of a block of the business district of Manor late Saturday night and Sunday morning, causing damage estimated by Mayor W. H. Wentland at about $75,000. The flames were discovered in a vacant building on the south side of the state highway, which forms the main street of town, about 9:45 p.m. by Ellsworth Hawkins. He notified City Marshal Alex Nairn, who fired his pistol three times, rang the fire bell, and opened the doors of the Acklin garage, in which the city’s fire-fighting apparatus was stored. Four hours later, all buildings on the south side of the highway in this block had been burned to the ground. About half the buildings on the north side of the highway were burning, and there was no hoping of saving them. But it seemed the fire had building out of fury, and there was no likelihood of its further spread. A company of Austin firemen were helping fight the flames. The machinery took down to Manor was of little use. But their experience was of considerable value in checking the spread of fire. 

The conflagration began in a vacant building owned by Mrs. R. A. Chadwick, now a resident of Colorado Springs. Until recently, the building was occupied by a restaurant. Next door was the Acklin garage. It was quickly enveloped in flames. Three brick buildings owned by Lonnie Anderson fell before the tongues of fire next. The _____ Henry tin shop was in one of them. The other two were used for automobile storage in connection with the Acklin garage. 

Four other vacant buildings stood in a row. Two brick stores were owned by S. A. Sellstrom. Frame buildings owned by J. C. Harris and A. C. Abrams also fell. The town jailhouse, empty, was enveloped quickly by the flames, which by this time had set fire to buildings on the north side of the highway. The vacant Jake Zimpleman and Mrs. Henry Clem-Mrs. Ernest Thurman store buildings, on the south side of the street, fell in, too. 

Across the highway, the flames worked into the J. F. Nagle frame structure, occupied by the J. W. Thurman feed store. The W. H. Jones & Son hardware store was the next victim. Then the old Lon___nnie store building, now vacant, was consumed. Ross Nunn blacksmith shop was destroyed. 

By the time the flames had spread this far, the stock in the Jim L. Kouri dry goods and general merchandise store had been removed. The post office was in the building. Their fixtures were saved, too. Fortunately, after this moving, the building was saved, scorched considerably by the heat of the flames. 

The area burned is located one block west of the bank building there. The store of Mayor Wentland stands about one-half block west of the Acklin garage. The Mayor’s residence, on the north side of the highway and several other homes were threatened by the fire. Men went into the roofs to extinguish flying embers, and probably prevented several serious fires. 

The fire Saturday is the third blaze in Manor recently. A few years ago, a small hospital was burned, in which about 15 persons were receiving treatment. All were rescued."

Two things happened after further investigation of the fire and the property losses. 

First, the estimate of financial loss to Manor businesses and residents was increased to $100, 000. 

Second, two men were arrested on suspicion of having deliberately started the fire. They owned a small cafe in Manor and it was discovered that they had apparently started the fire in an effort to eliminate competition by another man who also operated a small eating establishment similar to theirs. He told the investigating officers that two men had tried to buy his place and when he refused to sell, he had been threatened with: "If we can't buy you out, we're going to burn you out".

The case was handed over to the Grand Jury about one month later, but results of the trial are not know at this time.