Stoughton Historic Downtown Fires - Stoughton Mill Co. 1892
Stoughton Hub 7-22-1892
The Stoughton Mill burned to the Ground, and
the Loss of Life Narrowly Averted
"At a few minutes before two o'clock last Friday afternoon (July 15, 1892) . . . The
Stoughton flouring mill was ablaze . . . The first warning given to the men within
the building on fire was the whirlwind of flame that swept fiercely and
quickly through the mill from basement to roof." ". . . it was the hottest fire they ever fought, they succeeded in
confining the flames to the building wherein they originated . . . In the
absence of any other tenable theory the generally accepted one is that
spontaneous combustion is responsible for the fire.
The mill was a
massive frame structure, four and one-half stories high, above the
basement. The original structure was built more than thirty years ago,
but two additions have been built on within recent years."
"Mr. Turner, the president of the Co., says he will rebuild it in case
the company decide not to do so."
Stoughton Hub 7-22-1892
Stoughton Courier 7-22-1892:
"The firemen responded promptly, but the heat soon became so intense
that they could not play upon the flames and their efforts were turned towards
saving adjoining property. A brisk north-west gale was blowing at the
time which was favorable for preventing the fire from spreading. The
mill, which was one of the largest and best equipped in this section, having a
capacity of 225 barrels every twenty four hours, was totally destroyed together
with all its contents, consisting of wheat, feed, etc. The loss is
estimated at about $40,000."
Stoughton Courier
7-22-1892
Note wrong year listed in photo, fire was 7/15/1892
Photo from Oak Opening, The Story of Stoughton
Ferd Homme and available at our Museum Shop
Date of this flour sack is unknown
Photo used with permission of photographer
1898 Map - Stoughton Mill Co. Flour Mill
