
  • Engulfed in flames: The downtown Newberry fire of 1925

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  • In the late 1800s and early decades of the 1900s, most Michigan communities experienced major losses in their downtown areas due to fires. During that era, Newberry lost many of its landmark buildings. The most prolific fire in terms of property losses was in the 1920s.
    On March 2, 1925 probably the most devastating of the property damage fires in Newberry history occurred. About 75 percent of the businesses on the west side of the 200 block were destroyed.
    On that date, George Mills, an elementary student at the John Street school, completed his school day. He was headed home to the east side of Newberry. As they left the school, George and his friends saw a huge cloud of smoke coming from the downtown area. After they ran to that area, a loud voice rang out. It was a firefighter yelling, “you kids get the hell out of here. You kids get the hell out of here!” George was only seven at the time. Eighty years later, he remembered as if it was yesterday.
    What he and his friends were observing was the destruction of much of the Newberry business district. The fire consumed all the wood exterior stores from Leighton’s Dry Goods store on the southeast corner of Newberry Avenue and West John St. to the brick building which was the Bohn and Perry Drug Store (McNab Drug store building in later years). That building probably saved the few remaining buildings on the block.
    In addition to the Leighton store, Richardson Shoe and Candy Stores, Soo Five and Ten cent business, Sherman’s Drug Store, the offices of several businessmen and physicians were also destroyed. (The Soo Five and Ten store was owned by Thomas Shimmens. Five years later, he opened the State Theater on the same block.)
    There were several offices in the upstairs of the buildings. They included Dr. Edling, the chiropractor; D.N. McLeod, the lumberman; physicians Gibson, Spinks and others. The Sault Evening News may have provided a little “comic relief” in their same day coverage, by misspelling Dr. Spinks’ name as “Dr. Stink.”
    A.H. “Gus” Sherman was a druggist (pharmacist) and was in business for decades before and after the fire. During the fire, he went into his store to retrieve some valuables. After a safe came crashing through from the second floor, missing him by inches, he was discouraged from further exploration. He quickly exited.
    Compounding the problem of fighting the fire was that two of the three fire hydrants were frozen and not usable. “Polluted water” from the Charcoal and Iron Company was eventually relayed to the scene, but the situation had become “hopeless.”
    In the aftermath of the disaster, the various businesses found temporary occupancy in buildings on the east side of Newberry Avenue. They did “the best they could” in restocking some merchandise.
    Page 2 of 2 - In an editorial of 3/25/25, the Sault Evening News editor congratulated the merchants on plans to rebuild immediately. It further stated that “Newberry is a live town and that when the buildings are replaced the town will be better off than ever.” It also suggested that the community learn something from the lack of preparedness regarding the fire hydrants.
    Only six months later, they were able to move into new buildings. The new structures were of brick and are the ones that still adorn the two hundred block of Newberry Avenue.
    The “replacement” buildings are now 87-years-old. They had several decades of prosperity with three of them being occupied by drug stores, (with soda fountains) a shoe store, “dime store” and others. The buildings still serve a significant role in Newberry’s downtown district.
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