Great Fire of 1873

The Great Fire of 1873 was a major fire which swept through the downtown of Portland, Oregon on August 2, 1873, destroying twenty-two blocks on the west side of the Willamette River, including along Yamhill and Morrison Streets.

The fire started on First Street near Taylor. It was put out by Portland volunteer fire companies plus fire companies from Salem, Vancouver, Washington and Oregon City. Salem's fire company came 52 miles by train within 57 minutes.[1]

One estimate for the economic impact of the fire is that the fire caused $1.3 million in damage.[2] Reportedly only about one-fifth of the area was covered by insurance.[1]

Aftermath

Mayor Henry Failing chaired a relief committee and put in $10,000 himself. The city "shunned" financial aid offered from San Francisco and the East Coast, and instead used local resources. Rebuilding was delayed by the Panic of 1873, then was in "full swing" by 1878.[1]

The downtown area shifted to the west after the fire.[3]

The present-day Portland Yamhill Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, includes the northern part of the 22-block area. One surviving building is the Northrup and Blossom-Fitch Building (1858) from before the fire. The district includes 17 Italianate-style buildings built between 1878 and 1887.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gregg Qlson and Robert Sutton (September 4, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Portland Yamhill Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 8, 2017. With 21 photos from 1975-76.
  2. ↑ Scott, H.W. (1890). History of Portland Oregon with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens and Pioneers. D. Mason & Co. p. 160.
  3. ↑ "Fire Area, Portland, 1873". Oregon History Project. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
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