Authored by Katie Spiller

On October 31^st, 1869, beginning about 2:30am, Brattleboro, Vermont suffered from a major fire destroying an entire block on Main Street (Cabot 1922). It was the first of two major fires the town experienced in the late 19^th century which sparked local businessmen to envision and eventually implement improved firefighting methods (Pierce 2015). The fire began in an eating saloon in the center of the block and moved south and north quickly because four reasons hindered firefighting efforts that day (Brattleboro Historical Society 2021). One, the system for sounding the fire alarm required the nightwatchman to run to the nearest bell tower minutes away; then after more minutes, only two more bells were rung within town leaving several townspeople unalerted (Cabot 1922, 852). Two, four weeks before the fire, a record-breaking flood damaged the water wheel responsible for moving water to this part of town (Pomeroy 1894; Burnham1880). Three, the flood also washed out a bridge making accessing the fire time-consuming for one engine (Cabot 1922, 852). Lastly, the engine closest to the fire had been severely tampered with. The Vermont Record and Farmer, a local newspaper, reported that two leather plugs were inserted into the engine’s hose, paper plugged the works, and buckskin clogged the valves (Brattleboro History, n.d.). Caleb Lysander Howe, the local photographer, captured the remnants of the Brattleboro House after the fire ceased (Brattleboro Historical Society 2020). The town healed from this disaster a few years later with the construction of the commercial Crosby Block and the Brooks House hotel (Brattleboro Historical Society, n.d.).