Fire which broke out in the Simonton store in the Cox building at 7:50 am Monday did damage to the Simonton Store and other stores and offices in the same block before valiant work by three fire departments brought it under control and hour later. Mrs. Mildred Guill was slightly burned by a sudden puff of flames which struck her without warning as the fire broke out while she was opening the safe in the rear of the Simonton Store where she was employed. Alone in the store at the time she had the presence of mind to shut the safe door as she turned and fled from the building. Her action saved $1000 in cash from the flames. A rush of heat and smoke which followed her exit broke one of the plate glass windows in the front of the store. Mrs. Guill’s hands were slightly burned and her hair was singed in the burst of flames that was the first indication that the building was on fire. She was unable to explain the origin of the fire. It is believed that fire which probably started from wiring or some other undetermined source in the rear of the store early in the morning was given impetus by a draft afforded when Mrs. Guill opened a door in a partition dividing the store from a room in the rear. There is no furnace in that part of the building which is heated from a furnace in the east half of the same building occupied by Cox Hardware and Furniture Store. The Simonton Variety Store appeared to be a complete loss due to the fire, smoke and water. The offices of the Williamson Co. Farm Bureau which occupied the second floor of that section of the building were also damaged by fire, smoke and water, while the Alexander Dept. store in a building adjacent on the west was damaged by smoke and water and the Cox Hardware and furniture store and offices in the second floor of that building were also damaged by smoke. Occupants of the rooms over the hardware store were the Polly Ann Beauty Shop, County Supt. of Schools, Dee C. Moss, Roy Rodd Insurance and Justice of the Peace W.H. McCluskey. No fire broke into either the hardware store, the offices above it or the Alexander Store or apartments above it. Flames which burst a window in the rear of the Alexander Store could be seen from the square and at one time it appeared to firemen and watchers that the rear part of the department store was on fire. A window in the rear of the tavern which opened on a small door in the rear of the Alexander and Cox Building was also broken by the heat. The building occupied by the Simonton Store and farm bureau office as well as that occupied by the hardware store is owned by Harry and Clarence C. Cox. The families of Mrs. Goldie Patterson and A.L. Boyd who occupied apartments in the Alexander building were driven from their homes by smoke which they discovered about the same time the fire department arrived. Arriving at the scene of the fire at 7:30 o’clock the fire dept. under the direction of Chief Harry Cash had a twin hose line on the fire five minutes later. Volunteers responded readily but it was soon evident that the fire had a good start inside the building and with smoke pouring from windows of the first and second floors it was decided to send for assistance immediately. Fifteen minutes later the Johnston City fire truck with Fire Chief H.I. Little pulled up to the fire plug on the square at S. Market street. A few minutes later Herrin’s pumper, with Assistant Fire Chief Dave Pisoni and Fireman E.H. May in charge hooked up in front of the Marion Trust and Savings Bank building. At 8:25 a fire truck from Carbondale pulled up on the square but by that time the fire was under control and it was not necessary for the Carbondale fire truck to hook up. Firemen fought the fire aggressively from the beginning and conquered the flames at a time when it appeared the entire block was in danger. Officials of the Peabody Coal Co. began carrying records from the Peabody division office on the second floor of the west section of the Alexander building. Volunteers with a line from the Johnston City fire truck went on top of the building housing the Peabody offices and fought the flames from there while Herrin and Marion firemen poured water through front windows of the Farm Bureau office. Marion volunteers with assistant Fire Chief Clint Boles in charge carried a hose line through the smoke filled Alexander Store and fought the flames that were leaping through a rear window. At 8:20 firemen on a ladder carried a hose line through a window of the Farm Bureau office and fought the fire from that vantage point on the second floor. An hour after the first hose line was put into action the fire was virtually extinguished, although firemen remained at work in the building for two hours longer before the last evidence of the blaze had been investigated and danger of a recurrence from smoldering ruins eliminated. When the fire had been extinguished it was possible for occupants to inspect their stores and offices and take stock of the damage. Farm Adviser Dee Small, George Clore mgr of the Twin Co. Service Co. and T.E. Benton, farm bureau insurance mgr found the Farm Bureau offices ruined and many of their records partially or completely destroyed. They began at once to move the damaged furniture and office files from the building. The loss to the Simonton store and Alexander stores was increased by the fact that the two stores were deprived of the Christmas Eve business which doubtless would have meant the largest single day’s business of the year. Smoke filled the Alexander store, damaging stocks of ladies apparel to an extent which could not be immediately determined. The variety stock owned by Mrs. Elbert Simonton was all damaged in fire and smoke. Seeing the smoke and blaze from the fire at its height, Lt. Breitrick of the CCC camp at the Fair Grounds arrived at the scene of the fire with a motor truck load of CCC workers who took over police work about the damaged building, keeping the crowd back from the fire and handling motor traffic.

(Extracted from local newspapers and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us )