A Bit of Recall from this Sept. 11, 1931, Forest Fire
God spared THREE SHELTERS for those left devastated. The small Community Hall on the Vane Morrison property across the corner from our field, the Gust Palm home on Hay Creek and the Wm. Bain house. We were the most fortunate of all. The last thing we did before leaving for the River was: I carried water up a long ladder and my Dad poured it over the roof, so it was like a heavy rain. Also, our home was stuccoed which gave it added protection. For those who don’t know what that is, I’ll explain. It is plaster with a very rough exterior. Just the same, if John Borg hadn’t dared to take a look around ahead of the rest of us (braver), the house would have gone. We neglected to remove the ladder in our haste, and the fire crept up to it via the grass. He quickly pulled it away and all was well. My father had cultivated an acreage across the road and here I dug down many of our precious belongings.
Our Chevy touring car and John Borg’s of the same vintage were parked in the field. The tops were burned off, but the gas tanks remained intact. Dad tied our horses and Guernsey sire to the fence facing the house and into the wind. They were spared but singed in spots from the flying sparks, and their eyes were sore for a long time. A few head of cattle were smart enough to stay in the River and they were cared for by a friend, Melford Moen of Pitt, until grass time in 1932. The biggest conundrum of all was the wood threshing machine. It, too, was on the dirt field and with all the grass and chaff accumulations, it makes one wonder.
A window in our basement blew in as did a few chickens and one turkey. They were absolutely dazed when we discovered them. The tomatoes ripened over that LONG NITE. Our garden and canned goods supplied food for quite some time. The Red Cross allowed us (3) $10 a month for 6 months to live on and $60 for a foundation for a new barn. A minister came from Warroad and helped Dad with the cement part. Jobs were scarce as hen’s teeth in those DEPRESSION days. Tempers were short and small wonder with Winter fast approaching. The PIONEER SPIRIT prevailed and everyone got busy rebuilding. No loss of life in our area made it much easier to bear.