The above picture is the Rosewood Soo Line Depot being destroyed by fire. The edge of the picture said 1962. Let's talk about fires today.
In a stoic mental state, what would you take out besides yourself and family members? Do you have a smoke detector? Have you tested it lately? Do you have an escape plan? Do you know anyone that has lost everything in a fire?
Just because you have a hydrant doesn't mean your house is going to be saved. But what about families in the country? What did they do? Let's take a look at some of the articles about fires in the country. These are excerpts from the local newspaper. As Cliff Rye said, "We didn't even have a toothbrush", when they lost everything in the Ozarks and had no insurance.
APRIL 1917
Rosewood News The east bound freight Saturday set fire to a stretch of swamp land east of town and the high wind swept the fire to the north with great velocity. The section crew from Viking and TRF were called and the fire was put under control before much damage was done except the burning of some hay and grass land.
Rosewood News Rasmus Oen was at this place on Tuesday having been called on account of the swamp fire southeast of this place which threatened his property. The fire burned down to the clay.
Three year old was playing with cellophane near the cook stove when it caught on fire causing her to be enveloped in flames. She died at the hospital.
OCTOBER 1929
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Sabo had the misfortune to lose their home by fire Friday morning at 6a.m. Sabo woke up that morning to find the rooms in flames, waking Oscar; they got their two children safety. Oscar went back into the burning house to try and save some of their belongings but found they couldn’t because of flames and then noticing the way out through the door was blocked by fire smashed a bedroom window and got out. Mrs. Sabo then grabbed two quilts through the window which was all they saved except for a few baby clothes that were outside on the clothes line.
JUNE 1931 6 4 Fire at Rye’s destroys barn and kills stock
APRIL 1943 4 15 Mr. And Mrs. Henry Rye were overnight guests at the Lappegaard home Monday following the fire at their home. Miss Ilene Rye stayed at the Lloyd Anderson home.
JUNE 1949 0602 At five o’clock on Saturday evening when Albert Lappegaard was putting fuel into his tractor, the tractor caught on fire and was badly damaged and Mr. Lappegaard was burned quite badly on his legs and arms and is now at the St. Luke’s hospital in Thief River Falls. We hope for his speedy recovery.
According to the Marshall County Banner, the way to get a person over drunkenness is to lock him in a shed and set the shed on fire.
Fire drills at the schools will be held twice a month. At present, it takes students at Knox 32 seconds to clear the building, 40 seconds at Central and less than a minute at Lincoln due to the narrow halls.
Northern Woodwork suffers loss of $10,000 in a fire started by lightening. The building on Knight Avenue near the Great Northern Depot was struck on the southeast corner and followed the wires to the interior.
APRIL 1943
Mr. And Mrs. Henry Rye had the misfortune of having their house burn down Monday afternoon. The origin of the fire is unknown. At present they are living in the house on the Krockstad farm, just north of the Rye Farm
APRIL 1946
04 24 The JA Hellquist family lost their home due to a fire. Family and friends gathered at the Mission Covenant Church and presented them with a money purse.
Although we can speculate what we would save; in an adrenaline rush, we take what is in front of us. What is the entire story about the fire at the Rye farm when the house was burning and the big cook stove was taken out by two men? When Cliff went into his families' burning house and took out the junk drawer instead of the silverware drawer was that adrenaline?
