Retrospect: Local landmark burned

A prominent Bryant landmark was ravaged by a fire on this day more than six decades ago.

The Bryant Elevator, which was located in the heart of the town, went up in flames in the early hours of Jan. 16, 1952. An automatic fire siren at the elevator sounded at 1:15 a.m., and John Hoskins, manager of the elevator, arrived on scene shortly thereafter to investigate.

Hoskins noticed embers protruding from the top of the building. Along with a host of Bryant residents, Hoskins was able to save all of the office equipment and records before the fire spread to the bottom part of the building.

As the fire continued to rage on — it was reported the elevator was nearly full of grain — the structure became impossible to save because of a limited water supply.

“A northeasterly wind carried sparks and embers to practically all business buildings and homes west and southwest of the elevator and volunteers aided firemen in preventing the start of additional fires,” The Commercial Review reported.

Fire departments from Portland and Geneva assisted in the efforts, which shifted to protecting the surrounding buildings from the fire.

A residence directly to the west was saved, but a two-story building, which was used by Bonifas hardware for storage, was damaged.

It is believed at the time that the original part of the elevator building was constructed in the 1800s.

Damage in the fire was estimated to be between $50,000 and $60,000, which according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is equivalent to nearly $500,000 in 2016 figures.