Century-old Ti — Fire at Stevens & Weed

This is the latest in a series of posts about news reported a century ago in the Ticonderoga Sentinel.

“A fire that broke out in the cellar of the Stevens & Weed Co. store between eleven and twelve o’clock Saturday night threw a big scare into the owners of that part of West Exchange Street (now Montcalm Street), and for a short time kept them nervously on the anxious seat,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Feb. 5, 1920.

Temperature had been below zero all day and dipped to 25 below zero that night when an overworked furnace in the store’s basement caught fire.

Employee W.D. French, making a final check of the building before leaving for the night, spotted the fire just after it ignited.

“He promptly turned in an alarm and in a minute or two hand fire extinguishers were brought from neighboring buildings and (together) with those on the Jeffers chemical truck the blaze was quickly exchanged. The damage was very slight.”

In Chilson, temperatures plunging to 33 below zero the same night killed two cows owned by Bert Huntley and Ezra Smith, a newborn calf owned by Archie Wright, and a yearling horse owned by Jack Shepherd.

The cold spell would not interrupt church service, the Rev. E. R. Stone, pastor of Ticonderoga Methodist Church, wrote in his church notes column.

“There will be a service in the Methodist Church next Sunday whether the weather is cold or hot. We shall do the best we can to warm up the auditorium and a little faith will do the rest.”

In other news reported Feb. 5, 1920 in the Ticonderoga Sentinel:

New head nurse

The Moses Hospital hired Elizabeth Wall, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Hospital of Far Rockaway in Queens, as the hospital’s new head nurse.

“Miss Wall is a very capable nurse of wide experience and the hospital is indeed fortunate to secure her services.”

Wall replaced Helen Cooney, who had recently “finished a period of long, efficient and faithful service,”

Fire company dance

Doring’s Orchestra of Troy was set to play for the annual Jeffers Hose Company concert and ball at the Playhouse on Feb. 16.

“This will be this famous musical organization’s first appearance here, and if the many good things said of their music approaches anywhere near the truth, it will not be their last.”

Tickets for the whole package, including a concert, roast pig and turkey supper served from 6 to 8 p.m., and the dance, cost $2.50 per person — the equivalent of about $33 in 2020 dollars.

Admission for just the concert was 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children.

Anniversary party

About 40 friends and neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Charles St. Lawrence held a surprise party to celebrate the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary.

Margaret Price recited an original poem about the couple’s wedding in Montreal.

Basketball

The Ticonderoga High School basketball team lost 41–5 to Whitehall in a game Jan. 31 at Whitehall Armory.

“Although we know that Ticonderoga was handicapped by the large court at the Armory and that Whitehall would be equally handicapped by playing on a small court, we believe that if the teams met on a neutral concept of medium size, T.H.S. would have somewhat of a chance to beat the boys from the railroad town.”

The Bevo Five basketball team from Ticonderoga defeated the Shoreham Five 27–15 on the road Jan. 28.

Teach your children

Report cards were sent out the previous week.

“Parents, be sure you give it your attention. … There are some failures in the examinations and we want improvement in the future,” school officials advised. “If you will see that the home study is done, we shall try to look after the recitations and do all that we can to make the boys and girls of Ticonderoga educated Americans.”

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.