Page 3 - Canby Our Town- January 2014

canbyherald.com | JANUARY 22, 2014 | PAGE 11 |

Remember these? When flames engulfed Canby

Flames strike again downtown

Fire erupted along the back of the 10,000 square foot Canby Big Store build-
ing at 11:42 a.m., and had inflicted “in excess of $300,000 damage” before it
was brought “pretty well” under control in about 30 to 40 minutes, according to Canby Fire department officials.
Thirty-five of Canby’s 38 firemen fought to contain the blaze within the con-
crete walls of the 2 2 story structure. Firemen and equipment from Oregon City, Aurora, Molalla and Lake Oswego joined them, and firefighters from Portland,
Milwaukie, Happy Valley, Clackamas and Gaston, who were in the area, lent
their assistance.
Personnel and customers of four businesses in the building fled for their lives
from three levels as the flames roared up the back wall, spread around the wood-
en stairway at center rear
of the structure, and raced
toward the front along the
main floor’s ceiling. The
1913-occupied structure
was engulfed in flame in a
matter of minutes.
Destroyed were mer-
chandise and equipment of
Val Young’s and Willa
Johnson’s Canbyland
Market, Jerry Freeman’s
Canby Big Store, June
Plummer’s Top-Flyte
Flames overcome S.R. Smith
Beauty Shop, Gene Look’s
television repair shop, and the stored merchandise on the top floor of Bob Hale’s
Canby Hardware & Implement Co., and personal effects of Mr. and Mrs. Osborne Johnson and the Looks.
Manufacturing of diving Thursday about 5 p.m. leveled Canby volunteer firemen were
Also destroyed was Miss Margaret Schoonover’s Volkswagen, parked at N.W. boards will be resumed in Canby the plant within 90 minutes. at the scene only a few minutes
2nd avenue curbside by one of the first store windows to explode and shoot flames toward the street.
on or about March 14, and rebuilding of the S.R. Smith Co. Approximately 25 percent of the loss was covered by insurance.
after the alarm sounded and the automatic sprinkling system had
Fire Chief E.L. Buttolph and James Gallagher of the state fire marshal’s office Inc., plant destroyed Thursday The original 44,000-square been turned on by the heat.
were still probing the ruins Tuesday to pinpoint the cause of the fire.
Randy Williams, employee of Canbyland Market, said he was cleaning veg- night in a $500,000 fire is antici- pated, said Rene DuPont, presi- feet frame structure, plus a 1962 addition, were totally destroyed, Some firemen remained through the night at the scene.
etables at rear of the store when he felt compelled to turn around. As he did he dent and owner of the world’s along with nearly 5,000 diving Mrs. Natalie Burns bookkeep-
spotted flame in the wall, shouted “Fire” and ran toward the front of the store as Mrs. Johnson tried to telephone the fire department. When she found the tele- largest diving board manufactur- ing firm.
boards in various stages of com- pletion, many of them ready for er with the manufacturing firm since 1957, had taken the outgo-
phone (whose lead-in was near the fire source) dead, Williams ran the three Busy lining up machinery for shipment throughout the world.
ing mail to the post office. She
blocks to the fire hall. Perry Eide, employee of Canby Big Store and a volunteer fireman, came in the front door a moment later, saw people rushing out ahead of the reestablishment of manufac- turing operations in the DuPont DuPont, his general manager, Jack Malmquist, and three rushed back to the plant to help the men remove the plant’s
shooting flames, found the phone dead, and ran to Hal’s Shoe shop to report the building on highway 99E in employees on a wage negotiat- records and some of the office
fire. His alarm was in a moment before Williams reached the station on foot.
Popping of TV picture tubes, aerosol cans, bottles, cans, window and other Canby where the Smith Co. for- merly operated, DuPont empha- ing committee were in confer- ence in the office when the fire furnishings.
DuPont’s announcement that
glass led many to suspect erroneously that ammunition had been stored on the sized: “The important thing is to broke out about 5 p.m., 45 min- he will resume operations in
upper level, but this was denied by Mrs. Hale, whose husband’s merchandise had been stored there in mid-June.
begin filling orders.”
utes after the crew’s departure.
Canby came as good news to his
Smoke and water damage was done to the adjoining Dutch Door women’s “We will be using practically all of our 45 employees in about Webb Traglio, maintenance man, had arrived moments earli- employees and to those who value the firm’s annual $150,000
shop in Mrs. Louis F. Polzin’s building. Myrtle Daniels, partner with Alice Faist 10 days. About one-third of them er and was in the furnace room payroll. The company’s growth
in the store, said merchandise moved hastily from the building in which Gloria Vincenzi had been working will be returned as soon as carpet cleaning and are at work now.”
The fire which erupted in the at the front of the building when he looked through an opened is indicated by comparison of the 1954 production figure of
redecorating is completed this week. Owner Jerry Freeman estimated the build- catalyst mixing center at the door and saw fire break out at 1200 diving boards with the
ing’s value at $100,000, and his Canby Big Store stock of appliances and furni- ture at $70,000. The building was a center-of-Canby focal point for 60 years.
1960-built S.R. Smith Co. Inc., building between S.W. Berg the board-coating mix center, almost in the heart of the big 1965 production of 17,000.
— August 15, 1973 —
Avenue and the Molalla River
factory area.
— March 3, 1966 —

Ernie buys Union Oil changing the name to
Ernie Graham Oil. Starting a major chapter in a Dedicated
life of commitment to business and community!
to keeping seniors safe,
healthy and independent.

Ernie buys Union Oil from • Hot meals prepared fresh 4 days/week for onsite service!
Virgil Giger in 1971 and it now • Assistance in signing up for home-delivered meals, accessing
becomes Ernie Graham Oil.
available senior resources, securing rides to essential
appointments; medical equipment loans.
Back Row: Harry Kletzok, Bud Oh; Front row left • Variety of recreational, fitness amd wellness activities —
to right: Hal Fish, Paul Carrol, Bill Stevens,
Fred Egger, Ernie Graham, Granddaughter
aerobics, Tai Chi, line dancing, blood pressure checks, foot care,
Jena Gardner, Howard Lowrie and Ed Steiner.
card games, Bingo, movies, and day trips to local areas of interest.

Need a ride to the Center?
4.C-OT
Call us in the morning and we’ll pick you up! 8.01291
46004
1250 S. Ivy, Canby
601 First, Canby • 503-266-3321
503-266-2970 • www.canbyadultcenter.org

OT
2914.C-
046.01
460