Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1920 — PARR WIPED OUT BY FIRE [ARTICLE]

PARR WIPED OUT BY FIRE

I. O. O. F. Building, Lakin’* Store, Myre*’* Pool Room, Blacksmith Shop and Ice House Burned. The business section of the town of Parr, about nine miles northwest of Rensselaer, was practically wiped out by fire at an early hour yesterday morning. The fire was first discovered along about 1:30 or 2 o’clock In the morning and the Sheffer blacksmith shop and the Myres poolroom next door were both a mass of flames at the time, so that It was difficult to determine in which of the places the fire first started or from what cause. Parr has no fire protection z and little could be done to stem the blaze, a brisk wind from the west carrying the firebrands to other buildings nearby. The fire company was ’phoned for from Rensselaer, but It was nearly an hour and a half before they reached the scene, as it took some time to arouse the members of the company and get started. Had they arrived 20 or 30 minutes earlier the Odd Fellows building might have been saved with the chemical extinguishers, it is said. The buildings burned and the losses, as near as The Democrat could learn, were as follows: Sheffer blacksmith shop, loss on building and contents, SBOO. No insurance. W. H. Myres poolroom, loss on building about SBOO and perhaps S3OO to SSOO on pool tables, fixtures and other contents. No insurance. Will Myres ice house, S3OO on building. Much of the ice may possibly be saved if another cover can be put over it right away. No insurance. John Lakin’s empty store building, loss $1,600 to $1,700. No insurance. I. O. O. F. building, new some two or three years ago and worth probably $3,000 or more. Lodge lost all paraphernalia; $1,500 Insurance carrled by the lodge. Myres & Thomas occupied the first floor of this building with a general store. The greater part of their stock was saved. They carried some Insurance. Parr is a town of perhaps 150 or 200 population and this fire destroyedabout all the business houses there, leaving only the old W. L. Wood store building, the postoffice, depot and elevator, except a few buildings on the south side of the main street.