April 14, 1905: Flames sweep through the business district in the York County village of Springvale, consuming two shoe factories, 20 commercial buildings and 15 residences.
The fire begins in the W.R. Usher & Son boot and shoe factory’s boiler room and spreads rapidly. Local firefighting equipment proves inadequate to deal with the task. The arrival of Portland firefighters and their machines on a special train prevents destruction of the rest of the village.
When the fire is out, the buildings left in ruins include the Odd Fellows Block, the Western Union Telegraph office, the New England Telephone exchange, the Tibbets Hotel and the Masonic Block. All the affected buildings were made of wood. Firefighters save the Springvale Hotel by blowing up a vulnerable harness shop next door.
Except for a firefighter who suffers heat exhaustion, nobody is injured. About 800 people are left homeless. Authorities say they expect to evacuate the entire population of Springvale, which is part of the town of Sanford.
The total value of the property lost is estimated at $300,000, which would be more than $8.6 million in 2020. The Usher factory’s share of the damage was about $130,000.
Joseph Owen is a retired copy desk chief of the Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal and board member of the Kennebec Historical Society. He can be contacted at: jowen@mainetoday.com.
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