Monadnock Moment No. 146

Era 6: Development of the Industrial United States -
           1870 to 1900

"The Great Conflagration"

More than one hundred years ago, on May 8, 1888, the village of North Branch in Antrim, experienced a disaster which the townspeople have never forgotten. At 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon a fire was discovered in the roof of a three family residence owned by Milton Stickney.

The fire spread rapidly and the entire house was soon engulfed in flames. The fire spread to Stickney's barn and then jumped to the village store, a large brick building which was also the location of the post office. The fire soon spread to the next house to the south, and then to the next. Some belongings were moved to safety, but the houses were soon destroyed.

The fire also moved northward from the Stickney house, consuming two other residences. The town had no fire fighting equipment at North Branch and the Antrim town engine did not arrive until 4:00 o'clock. As the fire fighters were working, the flames jumped the road and quickly consumed three residences, three barns, and Hiram McIlvaine's sawmill, as well as many of the furnishings removed from the houses that had burned earlier.

The flames died away just two hours after the fire began. Nine homes were reduced to ashes, as were the store and post office, seven barns, the sawmill, and several small outbuildings. Twenty-five acres were burned with $12,000 in damages. The fire fighters saved several homes nearby which received minor damage, but the heart of North Branch was gone after that fateful day in May.