The Fire of 1909

On September 1, 1909, a devastating fire destroyed the west wing of the Legislative Building. A wayward spark from a charcoal burner being used for roof repairs was blamed for the cause of the blaze.

The fire spread quickly, fanned by a strong wind that day. Despite staff efforts to extinguish the fire and carry documents to safety, damage to the west wing was extensive. The Legislative Library was completely destroyed and approximately 100,000 books and public records were lost.  Fortunately, the Legislative Chamber was not damaged. 

Although the fire was noticed shortly after noon, the first fire wagons did not arrive until 1:00 p.m.  Many criticized the firefighters, saying that they were late because they did not have proper directions to the building.  Others believed the delay was the fault of the building's staff, saying that they waited too long to trigger the fire alarm.  Despite the delay, the firefighters fought bravely and were able to get the fire under control by 3:00 p.m. 

The total costs of the fire damage were estimated at $700,000. No one was seriously injured during the blaze.