Grayson County TXGenWeb
 
The Great Fire of 1875
Sherman, Texas

The cause of the fire was an overturned lamp at the McCloud Hotel on Travis Street on October 30, 1875.  The fire spread rapidly, soon being completely out of control.  When the fire was finally extinquished, all the buildings south of the square were destroyed.  Left on the east side of the square were two buildings, unburned, as well as two left standing on the south side of the square.  The losses to the merchants was staggering.  The list of losses gives an accurate idea of the economic development that the town of Sherman had achieved prior to this tragedy.  Firms that were burned out are as follows:

M. M. Bond & Company, $15,000
Cook Brothers, $1,500
Bradburg & Crisp, $8,000
M. Schneider & Brother, $3,000
F. W. Sumner, $40,000
Andrews Moore & Co., $13,000
Hare, Bledsoe & Head, $4,500
E. Hernstadt, $3,600
R. G. Hall & Sons, $25,000
Hall & Chapman, $6,500
G. C. Dugan, $4,000
M. Singer & Company, $15,000
L. Bornstein, $18,000
S. R. Caruthers, $7,000
J. W. Levy & Brothers, $5,000
Batsell & Brother, $15,000
L. J. Martin, $2,500
Brooke & Lamb, $2,500
J. E. Bond, $5,000
John Brooke, $12,000
William Heebe, $1,600
J. R. Cole, $1,100
Sherman Courier, $4,000
Fitch & Loving, $1,800
Cullers & Henry, $2,500
R. L. Bullock, $4,000
Patriot Printing Co., $2,500
L. Panders, $1,400
S. B. Wright, $3,500
G. F. Lindsay, $9,000
Eubank & Co., $10,000
J. J. Eubank, $4,000
T. C. Richards, $6,000
Register office, $4,000
Singer Sewing Machine Co., $38,000
Ed Moore, $43,000
A. Young, $2,500
A. B. Moore, $8,000
J. E. Lodsdon, $1,500
J. D. McCamant, $1,000
Block Jett & Co., $1,200
County Jail, $500
J. W. Vaden, $1,600
Moody & Fry, $1,000
Knights of Pythias, $400
J. Benner, $600
Buchanan & Redley, $250
John Fenet, $400
B. Jones, $400
F. M. Allen, $6,006
H. C. Holcombe & Co., $600
W. W. Walker, $2,000
C. Jackson, $3,000
Mrs. Galloway, $3,500
S. Whitted, $1,000
W. E. Saunders, $500
Blabut, $100
Masonic Lodge, $250
Byers Brothers, $600
Dr. J. M. Wilson, $200
Black & Hare, $200
Frank Colbert, $2,000

Henry & Andrews, $5,000
John Halsell, $2,000
Hous Holt, $2,000
Mrs. Ben Moore, $3,000
C. Robold, $2,200
William & Andrews, $750
Wm. McDonald, $750
Boles & Bomar, $212
W. Voight, $1,500
Anderson & Steedman, $1,200
J. F. Stinnett, $2,500
John Dorchester, $1,500
Parks & Josenburg, $200
N. Wallrich, $200
Gas Company, $300
Cosmopolitan Restaurant, $250
I. Feller, $700
Dred Parks, $225
J. W. Hagee. $150
Mrs. L. Nason, $150
Dr. Stinson, $200

A rebuilding of almost the entire square of Sherman began using more permanent materials.  Many of these buildings built in 1875-1876 have changed little with things like the height of buildings and dimensions of stores.

source: An Illustrated History of Grayson County, Texas, 1960, pg29

Man-Made Disasters

Sherman History

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