a glimpse of downtown Larchwood in the 1940s

by Jill Funke

In small towns, people create strong bonds that last through the good times and the bad. Events that take place in these communities can have a profound effect in them. It is during these times that the connections between community members are strengthened. During the 1940’s, the town of Larchwood experienced an event that heavily impacted its businesses and citizens. Many people who lived in the area at that time still remember the fire that destroyed Larchwood’s grocery store, as well as the phone company. Although it has been over 60 years since the flames lit up the dark sky that night, each person who experienced the fire remember certain details almost as if the fire had happened yesterday.

It was cold when Larchwood residents went to sleep that winter night. Back then, after the sun set, the nights became very icy and people snuggled together under a mountain of blankets to ward off the chill, often waking up to a frozen glass of water on the nightstand. While everyone was nestled in their beds in peaceful sleep, a fire started in the grocery store on Main Street owned by Harry Hendricks. Suddenly, the town sirens went off, causing most townspeople to bolt right out of their beds. Bev Schreurs remembers her father racing down the stairs around midnight at their home on Fell Street, telling his daughters not to leave the house. Awakened by the commotion, the family looked out the window to see the flames from the fire that engulfed the backside of the building shooting high into the air. Serving as the Fire Chief of the Larchwood Fire Department for many years, Bev’s father Ed Anderson, participated in fires that would break out in the area. He and the other volunteers responded to this emergency while the rest of the town watched from the windows in their homes and wondered just how far the fire might spread around the town.

Not only did the building hold the town’s only grocery store and telephone company, the second story of the structure was an apartment where Harry and his father lived. While Harry and the telephone operator, who was on duty at the time, got out safely, Harry’s father was too afraid of the flames to come down the stairs. Some of the most vivid memories that are recalled from that night include the sight of the silhouette of one of the firefighters on a ladder going up to the top floor to save him. All through the night the firemen fought the fire. With the frigid temperatures, fire hoses froze and split, making the fight even more difficult. Some Larchwood residents spent the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning making food to bring to the exhausted firemen, who ended up working on the fire until well into daylight.

In situations such as the Larchwood fire, memories can consist of more than just sights and sounds. Some of the town’s residents remember the smell of the meat from the grocery store freezer as it burned in the fire. All of the food and items that were charred in the fire left unpleasant odors in the air for a few days. From the damage of the fire, the structure of the building collapsed into the basement. That area stayed hot for a while, causing school children to be careful of exploding cans as they walked by the building on their way to school.

Although it wasn’t proven, many speculated that the cause of the fire was the grocery store’s electrical system. The close knit community worried about Harry no longer having the store, and Bev remembers that her mom, Irene Anderson, moved the phone company into their home. Due to the nature of the telephone business, a switchboard operator was on duty 24 hours a day. As she got older, Bev worked at the switchboard, connecting the calls of her friends and neighbors. Like most other towns, over the years, Larchwood has seen many changes. However, most of the people who witnessed this historic fire say that this was perhaps the most significant event in the town in their lifetime. In addition, they hope that Larchwood will never witness an event of that magnitude again.