Hamilton Alabama Courthouse Fire

HAMILTON’S FIRE

Hamilton, Ala., March 31 – Last night about 1:30 o’clock the court house at this place was discovered to be on fire. It was completely enveloped in flames, and nothing could be done toward saving any of the records, papers, county library, etc., which were in the offices, and not in vaults or safes. The building was a wooden structure and cost about $4,000. The county library was valued at about $1500, and is said to have been as good as nay in the state. The records are absolutely beyond replacing and dated back to the time the county was first established. There were also about one or two thousand dollars worth of blank records in the office of the probate judge. The tax assessment for the past year, and all the books and papers belonging to the tax assessor’s and collector’ offices were destroyed. In fact, everything was destroyed that belongs to the court house.

Besides the great loss of the county, several individuals sustained considerable loss. W. H. KEY, Esq. had about $75,000 in money in the office, which he had collected for various parties, all which he will have to restore from his own pocket. He also had several valuable law book burned and about $4,000 worth of notes that had been placed in his hands for collection. About $2,500 worth of these notes belonging to Messrs. FRAZIER & GAST, merchants of this county, the others to different parties. MATTHEWS & GUYTON’S mercantile ledger, which was in Mr. Key’s hands, was also burned. A. J. STANFORD, Esq. lost about $100.00 worth of law books in the conflagration.

It was only by Herculean efforts that the stores around the court house were saved, the resin being drawn from several of them by the heat. The wind was very high, which rendered the fighting of the flames very difficult. It was feared at one time that the whole business portion of the town would be consumed, but luckily the wind shifted and the buildings were saved. It was a grand and awful sight, and represented a lost to Marion County of at least $40,000 and is a severe burden to the already debt-burdened county. At this writing it is impossible to estimate the loss, but it is believed that $40,000 is a conservative estimate. Nothing is known as to how the fire originated. It may have been the act of an incendiary or it may have originated in some of the offices. [The Lamar News, (Vernon, Ala.), April 7, 1887, P.2.]