Colonnade Fire  

1900 April 22 Sunday Morning

$12,000 FIRE AT Culver

A $12,000 fire occurred at Culver, at 9:30 o'clock this morning, consuming the Colonade hotel and contents, owned by Herz & Co., the Beeber saloon, and the Keller barber shop. The fire is supposed to have been started v by an incendiary.

The Beeber saloon was under the management of Dan Emmons, of Rochester.

The greatest loss is on the Colonade, which was the largest and most elegantly furnished hotel on the lake.

The saloon and restaurant were partially covered by insurance. - Rochester Sentinel, Saturday, April 21, 1900

---

And also from the Logansport Journal, Sunday Morning, APRIL 22 1900.

Culver Visted By Fire

Conflagration Thought to be the Work of Incendiaries

Mrs. Anne Beeber, of This City, a Heavy Loser Loss Estimated at $15,000

Culver , the village on the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee, was visited by a disasterous fire at an early hour yesterday morning,v and as a result thevColonade hotel, Emmon's saloon, Avery's restaurant. Wolford's saloon and Keller's barber shop arev now in ruins.

The fire was first discovered about 2 o'clock yesterday morning by Mr. Hays, a delivery man, who was returning from a drive.

At that time the fire was just sweeping along the veranda of the Colonade hotel. Almost in a flash the entire side of thevColonade was in flames.

A strong odor of coal oil was noticeable at first, which led to the belief that the fire was of incendiary origin.

A petition remonstrating against the saloons in that village was recently circulated and it was openly charged about the streets of that place yesterday that the fire was the work of incendiaries. The loss will probably reach $15,000.

The Colonade hotel was owned by A. Herz, of Terre Haute and was leased only Friday by Laporte people, who had it already furnished and ready for the opening of the season.

The loss to building and contents, will probably reach $6,000 with Insurance to the amount of $2,500.

Mrs. Anne Beeber, of this city, owned the building occupied byunder the management of Dan Emmons, of Rochester. and A. E. Avery as a restaurant. Her loss will probably foot up close to $6,000, on building and contents, upon, which she carried $l,_00 insurance in the Westchester. The Emmons family were asleep in the building and were awakened with difficulty in time to escape with a few articles of clothing.

Peter Keller, a barber, in a small frame building east of the Colonade hotel lost $200 with no Insurance. J. W. Wolford, of Plymouth, owns the saloon and building east of Kellers. The business was conducted by William Overman. His loss will reach $1,000 with $400 insurance

1900 - Apr 23 - Big FIre at Maxinkuckee

Culver City, Ind. April 23 - A fire supposed to be incendiary, destroyed the Colonade Hotel, Wolford Saloon building, Keller's barbershop, Emmon's saloon and Avery's restaurant. including all there contents. The loss will probably reach $15,000

As the owners of the buildings are non-residents the exact losses and insurance can not be given -- Muncie Daily Times

1900 - Apr 27 Here At Last!

Culver Visited by Fire Fend

Loss will reach Nearly the Ten Thousand Dollar Mark

Saturday morning at 2:30 a.m. our citizens were arroused from their slumber by the cry of fire and soon the streets were full of people, all rushing toward the Vandalia depot, where a blaze could be seen ascending heavenward, and it did not take long for them to discover that the Colonade Hotel, one of the largest in Northern Indiana, was in flames.

In almost the twinkling of an eye, the flames communicated with the O. C. Beaber building, just west of the hotel, and from thence to the Wolford building and Keller barber shop on the last, which where all burned to the ground in a very short space of time.

The fire was first discovered by Cans [Chas.] Hayes who had just returned from Plymouth. He asserts that there were unmistakable signs of incendiaries, as the smell of coal oil was very strong, in fact there was every evidence that coal oil had been used in abundance, in order to make a complete job.

The Beaber building was occupied by a man by the named of Emmons and his family, consisiting of a wife and four children, who, when the fire broke out, were quietly slumbering, and had it not been for the quick work of Chas. Hayes and Wm. Swigert would have surely perished, as they barely had timie to leave the building, without even time so secure a change of 4 clothing.

Mr. Emmons, who conducted a saloon in the building, lost about all his household goods.

Wm. Overman conducted a saloon in the Wolford building, but fortunately saved nearly everything in the restaurant and and saloon.

there was no one occupying the Colonade, but understand it had been leased for the ensuing year to Laporte parties, opened the same to the public last Monday. The building probably loss of the building and contents will reach between five and six thousand dollars, with insurance to the amount of $3,500.

The Beaber building and contents were probably worth $3,500 and was insured for $1,700.

The Wolford saloon, building and contents were estimated to be vauled at $1,000 and insured for $400.

The Keller barber shop was valued at $300 with no insurance.

Since this calamity has fallen upon Culver, there has been various opinions expressed, relative to the probable cause of the fire,.and for what the party or parties had in view that applied the torch, some insinnating that those opposed to saloons did the .deed for the purpose of wiping out these "grog shops", but we do not believe that any citizen in Culver or Union Township, connected with the temperance movement, had any hand in the matter, but would rather surmise that there were other reasons why this conflagration occurred.

While we heartily deplore the loss of property, this has, or should be a most thrilling warning to the powers that be, in our city, that is very essential to have fire protection.

If there had been a strong wind from the east, Culver would have been laid in ashes today and as it was, it took the comined [combined] efforts of our citizens to save the depot and other property, for had the Bradley restaurant caught fire the Lakeside Hotel, Catholic church and the resident portion of the north side of the city would have went up in smoke.

A large gang of carpenters are at work erecting a new building for Wolford, the dimensions of which will be 22X80, the first 40 feet two stories high. the whole structure will be artistically finished, with a saloon in front, and restaurant in the rear. At first Wolford did not contemplate rebuilding, but as Mr. Overman had already secured his license for a year, and was a heavy looser by the fire, Mr. Wolford thought he was duty bound to rebuild.

It is thought that Mrs. Beaber, of Logansport, will not rebuild, and it is quite evident that no building will be erected in place of the Colonade, as it is conceded by those familiar with the hotel business, that it never paid the owners to quarter per cent upon the investment owing to its location and mismanagement. D. R. Avery, of this city, who conducted the hotel two years ago, being the only man so far as we know that met every obligation to the owners.

In conculsion some one applied the torch that caused the burning of these buildings, and such a person or persons, no matter what the object was, should be sent to the penitentiary for life or hung. Culver Herald - Apr. 27, 1900

NOTE: there was a lawsuit involving a lease and burnt building, since this is the only fire known during the time period - have made assumptions - outlined here with deatail of suit - several newspaper accounts.