Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA,
Thursday, August 2, 1928.
Submitted by: Bea. Adams King
Bethel Baptist church located about three miles north of Phenix on the road
towards Lynchburg, was destroyed by fire last Thursday. The origin of the fire
is not positively known. The church had a short time prior to the fire
been gone over with oiled rags to clean interior wood work and it is thought
that one of these rags became ignited in some manner. When discovered the fire
had gained such headway there was no chance to distinguish the flames.
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA,
Thursday, May 3, 1928.
Submitted by: Bea. Adams King
The dwelling house on the Roseneath farm about a mile from Saxe was destroyed
by fire early Monday morning. It was the property of Dr. C.W.
Tucker, but was occupied by Mr. Joe King. He was fortunate enough to save
nearly all his belongings.
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA,
Thursday, October 30, 1873.
Submitted by: Bea. Adams King
S.P. DANIEL
T.M. TUCKER
Charlotte Courthouse, Oct. 26th.
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA,
Thursday, October 30, 1873.
Submitted by: Bea. Adams King
EGGLESTON, THORNTON & CO
Charlotte Courthouse, Oct. 26th, 1873
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA,
Thursday, December 22, 1955.
Submitted by: Bea. Adams King
Two persons lost their lives in a fire near Drakes Branch early Friday morning,
December 16. Helen Lambert, age 16, and David Lambert, age 10, perished before awakening as
fire completely destroyed the home in which they were sleeping. Three
other children were badly burned and one is still hospitalized as a result of
the fire. When the fire was discovered at around 2 a.m. the flames had made
such headway that Curtis Lambert, father of the children, could not get them
out of the building, or save anything in the house. The Drakes Branch Fire
Department was called, but he fire had already destroyed the building before
they arrived.
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA,
Thursday, January 18, 1927.
Submitted by: Bea. Adams King
Source: The
Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch. VA., Thursday, March 1, 1951.
Submitted
by: Bea King
The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes
Branch, VA., Thursday, June 8, 1944
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
Sympathetic citizens
came to the rescue and did what they could to help carry out furniture, rescue
cars from the storage house, and otherwise give aid where necessary. A
bucket brigade was formed and men, women and children pumped and carried water
for hours for the fire engine.
Credit is given to the
prompt and efficient work of the fire fighting group from Keysville for saving
other dwellings and stores in the line of fire. And to those Cullen
citizens who stood by in the intense heat with water available to prevent fire
breaking out from flying sparks. Fire is still smoldering in the ashes of
the mill. Trees in the vicinity are charred and little green apples are
baked on the trees. One pig pen was destroyed while its occupant went on a
journey. And one garden has only dried and parched stalks to show where
once it was green. But many are thankful that "it ain't no
wuss."
Newspaper: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA., Thursday,
February 28, 1946
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
Chris
Wilmouth's home located on a farm, about two miles from town, was completely
destroyed by fire, Monday morning about four o'clock. It has been
reported that the chimney burned out and sparks fell on the shingles, causing
the fire. It has been rumored that Mr. Wilmouth had insurance on both his
home and household goods and that he saved most of his furniture. They
are living in the old hotel on Main Street with their daughter Mrs. Reams and
Mr. Reams.
Newspaper: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA.,
Thursday, March 7, 1946
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
A
Correction
In last
week's Gazette, it was stated that Chris Wilmouth house and furniture was
insured. Mr. Wilmouth informs us that he did not have insurance on his
furniture.
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA.,
Thursday, November 26, 1925
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
TO THE MANY FRIENDS AND
PATRONS OF PHENIX MILLS
It is with deep regret
that I am forced to announce that my mill was burned on November 4th completely
to the ground, but I must express to my many loyal patrons, my sincere
appreciation for their liberal patronage, which made it possible for me to put
in one of the most complete flour mills in the county. Many have been and
expressed their sympathy for me and their deep regret to lose a mill where they
got full satisfaction and service and fully expressing their desire that I
would rebuild again, that they might travel the same road to the same mill
sight and receive the same satisfactory service rendered them in the past.
With this before me, I
will at once proceed to build a more modern and larger mill than I had before,
and will be ready to grind your wheat again the first of next year. All
parties indebted to the mill are earnestly requested to come foward (forward) and settle their bills, as I
need the money so badly to rebuild.
With Best wishes for a
happy reunion at the new mill door. I am
Rour (Your) friend.
J.E. GILLIAM
Source: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA.,
Thursday, October 1, 1925
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
R.W. BAILEY'S STORE AND
HOME BURNED
The home and store of
Mr. R.W. Bailey, located about five miles from Drakes Branch, on the road to
Wylliesburg, were burned last night. The fire originated under the store
and was discovered about 12 o'clock. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Mr. Bailey had insurance
to the amount of $2,000.00, the loss was about $10,000.00. During the
excitement of the fire, Mr. Bailey laid his purse, containing over $100.00 down
and it was also destroyed.
Newspaper: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA., Thursday,
January 9, 1964
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
Fire Guts Keysville
House Christmas Eve
Across the snowy streets
on Christmas Eve the arctic air was pierced by the shrill sound of a fire alarm
in Keysville.
Just at sunset, blue
smoke poured out of the home at the corner of King Street and "T"
Avenue belonging toMrs. Zillah H. Shafer and her mother, Mrs.
Frank Hailey. At first, the firemen despaired of saving the 8-room
dwelling but hard work paid off. By dark, they knew it would be spared.
Nevertheless, the
Christmas dinner being prepared, Christmas tree and other holiday decorations,
gifts and furniture were scattered over the lawn. Some presents were
burned, but neighbors cared for valuable possessions. Permanent damage
included gutting of two upstairs bedrooms, ruining of the paint downstairs by
water, falling plaster and the loss of most of Mrs. Shafer's wardrobe.
The cause of the holiday
catastrophe was unknown, but the fire is believed to have started in the
upstairs closets.
Newspaper: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA.,
Thursday, April 27, 1933
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
FLAMES SWEEP BLOCK IN KEYSVILLE; LOSS IS ESTIMATED AT
$75,000
Prominent Business Section of Keysville Entirely Destroyed
by Fire Early Last Night; No One Injured
One the most disastrous fires in the history of the town
swept through Keysville early last night destroying thousands of dollars worth
of property. The fire completely wiped out the Western business section of the
town, being only a few years since the Eastern section was destroyed, and which
had been partially rebuilt.
The fire of undetermined origin broke out in an old
warehouse between Main and Church Streets. The flames rapidly gained
headway to other nearby buildings. The flames spread to the Hardware firm
of Hanmer Brothers which quickly burned. Excitement ran high when bullets
and shells in the burning building began to explode because of the intense
heat. The Planters Bank of Keysville and the Mercantile firm ofE.M. Arvin on
either side of the Hardware fire were the next to catch fire. The flames
spread rapidly through both and very little merchandise could be saved.
It was not known early last night whether the main vault of the Planters
Bank had been injured, but a number of papers and records in a smaller safe
were destroyed when the intense heat forced open the steel doors.
Buildings on the Southern side of Main Street caught fire
several times, but was quickly extinguished by the formation of a bucket
brigade.
The plate glass windows of business establishments across
the street were broken or cracked under the terrific heat.
Fire engines were called from nearby towns and the fire
department from Farmville responded but the flames were out of control when
they reached Keysville and they were also hampered by lack of water.
Soon after assistance arrived, the blaze was stopped,
although many residents feared that the whole town would be destroyed. It
was conservatively estimated that the damage amounted to more than $75,000.
All telephone communications to Keysville was cut off for
sometime during the night after the flames had severed wires. The fire
itself was described by Keysville citizens as one of the worst there in the
last 50 years. No one was able to determine what the amount of the damage
was covered by insurance.
The fire was strikingly similar to that recently in
Burkeville when a large portion of that place, about 20 miles from Keysville
was burned. The exact origin of the Burkeville fire has never been
determined.
Despite the close range fire fighting, no injuries were
reported.
An estimated of between 1,000 and 1,500 persons were
present.
Newspaper: The Charlotte Gazette, Drakes Branch, VA.,
Thursday, December 1, 1932
Submitted By: Bea Adams King
"Roxabel" the home of Dr. and Mrs.
C.M. Nicholson, located a mile and one half from Charlotte Courthouse, was
destroyed by fire early Thursday morning, November 24. The fire was
discovered by Mrs. Nicholson at two thirty, who was awakened by the
smell of the dense smoke which filled the house. It originated under the
electric hot water heater in the kitchen.
Occupants of the house at the time were Dr. and Mrs.
Nicholson and their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.
Clarence Nicholson, Jr. who motored down the previous evening from their
home in Richmond to spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Nicholson's parents.
As soon as the fire was discovered Dr. Nicholson telephoned
to Charlotte Courthouse. The bell there was rung and the people generally
notified by telephone. Shortly afterwards a crowd gathered at the scene
of the fire and men worked to save as much as possible from the house.
Some things were saved from the first floor but because of the stifling
blanket of smoke nothing could be gotten from the second floor. Both Dr. and Mrs.
Nicholson lost all of their personal belongings.
"Roxabel" was one of the old historic homes of the
County. It was built more than a century ago by Judge Marshall. Dr.
Nicholson purchased and modernized it in 1917 and since then has made his
home there.
The insurance covered only a small part of the loss.
Negotiations for rebuilding are under consideration.