1914: Hull's Department Store Fire

photo credit:  Potter County Historical Society Collection

Hull & Co.'s Store Destroyed By Fire
The McKean Democrat March 5, 1914

Costly Blaze at Norwich Last Saturday Morning


One of the Largest Stores in the County


The immense department store of Hull & Co., at Norwich, this county, was entirely consumed by fire last Saturday morning. Charles Hull, who was sleeping in the store, was awakened about 4:15 in nearly a suffocated condition from inhaling smoke, and with much difficulty succeeded in getting out of the burning building through a window. Residents in the neighborhood of the store had smelled smoke sometime previous to this, but were unable to locate any fire, until Mr. Hull emerged from the store and gave the alarm.

While Norwich has an efficient water system under ordinary circumstances, this morning there was much delay in getting water onto the burning building, and when this was accomplished there was found to be an inadequate supply, and by this time the building and contents was a seething mass of flames and had passed the control of the firemen, and owing to the highly inflammable nature of the building and contents the fire burned very rapidly, and it was not long before one of the largest mercantile establishments in this section of the State was a mass of ruins.

The fire, which was of unknown origin, started about the center of the wholesale department, and had evidently been smoldering for some time before it was discovered. Of all the contents of this mammoth establishment, only an adding machine and a chair or two were saved.

Hull & Co. occupied a one-story building, which was 80x250 feet. At the time of the fire there was fully $100,000 worth of merchandise in the building. Almost everything in the merchandise line was to be found in this establishment and the DEMOCRAT is reliably informed that Hull & Co. did a business of about $1,000 a day. This firm bought all of their supplies in trainload lots, and as the daily sales show did an immense retail and wholesale business, which by no means was confined to Norwich alone, but extended over a wide territory. The store was complete in every detail, having a cold storage attachment for the handling of its big stock of fresh meats, eggs, butter, green stuffs, etc., which were shipped in carload lots. The destruction of this establishment is a distinct loss to the entire county, of which it was one of the leading industries.

Hull & Co. carried an insurance of $68,000 on their stock, which will not cover much more than half of their loss. The insurance was divided between the Burdick Agency, of Smethport, and the Mandeville Agency, of Olean. The former company carried $10,000 risks, and the latter $58,000. We have not learned whether Messrs. Hull & Co. will rebuild or not, but the probabilities are that they will as there is still four or five years of active business operations at Norwich, which will require a store of the nature of the one just destroyed in order to supply the demands of the large population in that section during these operations.

Fortunately there was no wind prevailing at the time of this fire, or else the destruction of property would have been much greater.
Norwich
Taken from the Smethport Democrat
                    
Oct. 29, 1891.  Goodyear Bros. are grading for a railroad from Forest House to the Potato Creek region; also another to the head of Cowley Run.  The logs will be manufactured into lumber at Avery's Mill, Keating
Summit. 

Potter Journal, Jan. 23, 1907.  Hon. M. E. Olmsted of Harrisburg, is president of a new railroad company, the Potato Creek Railroad Company, chartered last friday at Harrisburg.  It will build a 28 mile road from
Keating Summit, Potter County, to Norwich, this county.  This road is undoubtedly intended for the purpose of handling the vast timber holdings of the Goodyear's in Norwich township, this county.  It has been
rumored that operations on this timber tract will begin this year, and now that a railroad has been chartered
matters are beginning to assume a business like aspect. 

July 16, 1970.  The Goodyears are building a railroad from Keating Summit down to Portage Creek, thence
up Zimmerman Hollow out past Scaffold Lake to their big Norwich Twp. tract of hemlock. 

Dec. 28, 1910 William F. Column, the will known millwright, who formerly lived in Ridgway but now lives
in Buffalo, has begun the erection of a big mill for Goodyear Lumber Company at Potato Creek, McKean Co. Pa. 

Jan. 18, 1911.  A new post office has been established at the head of Potato Creek, which will be known as
Norwich. Charle Hull has been appointed postmaster of the new office and the office will be located in that
gentleman's immense department store. 

Dec. 27, 1911. O. M. Wagner has sold his bakery stock to Mrs. Hannah Roff, who is moving her restaurant
goods across the street and will occupy the location vacated by Mr. Wagner.  Mr. Wagner will move to
Norwich, where he expects to conduct a boarding house. 

Jan. 3, 1912  Nathan N. Metcalf, superintendent of the Goodyear Lumber Company was married last
Wednesday at Smethport to Mrs. Flora Bailey. 

Mar. 6, 1912.  Mina is now without a grocery store.  E. J. Nordstrum has moved his stock to Norwich, where he will continue in the same business. 

Mar. 20, 1912  Ralph Lyon departed this morning for Norwich where he has a position as clerk in the Hull
Company Store. 

May 8, 1912.  Rue McLaughlin, who has been a clerk in the store of Shear & Fee, has resigned and will go
to Norwich to accept a similar position in the store of Joe Hull & Son. 

Feb. 28, 1914.  The Charles Hull & Co. big department store at Norwich burned to the ground last Saturday
morning with a loss estimated at $100,000, partly covered by insurance of $70,000.  Charles Hull, one of the
owners, slept in the store, and when aroused by the strong smell of smoke, the huge building, which covered
an acre of ground, was a seething mass of flames.  The store was one of the largest and finest equipped in McKean
County. 

View Hull's Department Store before fire
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View Hull's Store before fire