Remember When?

55 YEARS AGO • FEBRUARY 15, 1968

FIRE LEVELS LARSON STORE

Fire completely destroyed Thompson Falls’ oldest and largest retail establishment, Larsons & Greens, Inc. early Wednesday morning.

The fire was first noted when a transformer on an electric power pole at the rear of the building exploded and flashes of light awoke Matt Marich and Duke Sallee who reside nearby. The alarm was turned into the sheriff’s office at 1:35 a.m. Leveled by the flames were the grocery, dry goods, appliance and hardware departments of the firm.

Nothing was saved. All of the records of the firm may have gone up in flames. By mid-day the safe had not been reached, however.

Kelly Green said when he opened the front door, he was blown back by the pressure of the heat.

Firemen answered the call with both fire trucks, but at first the source of the fire could not be determined in the heavy smoke. A few minutes later the first flames appeared in the rear of the building and within moments the entire structure was aflame. Explosions were heard for five hours as ammunition and paint exploded.

Firemen under the direction of Chief Charles Applegate poured water into the conflagration from hoses connected to fire hydrants as far as two blocks away. But their efforts to extinguish the blaze were futile. All available equipment was used.

Working from the roof of the Post Office and adjacent Ledger buildings they kept those two buildings cool with water. An east wind also aided the firemen in saving those two structures.

Volunteers evacuated the equipment in the Ledger building and the Post Office. Mail was scooped out of the boxes in clothes baskets and put under lock and key. When I (Doc Eggensperger) arrived at the fire at 2:15 a.m., all the galleys for Wednesday’s paper were lined up on the sidewalk by the building where the Laundromat is now. They were carried back in the morning and the crew had the paper out by 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Wilbur and Harold Vaught with the aid of volunteers also evacuated the Motors Garage building located across the street to the west of Larsons & Greens.

Harold Vaught said the roof on the garage was filled with embers and sparks.

Other merchants along Main Street watered down the roofs on their buildings with garden hoses as a precaution. Smoke from the inferno was blown west along Main Street and was drifting into store buildings two and three blocks away. Chief Applegate ordered the Black Bear Hotel to alert its occupants.

Mrs. Mike Miller opened Norm’s Cafe and made coffee which she and other volunteers served free to the firemen and other workers. The Jayceens also set up a coffee bar for the firemen at Motors Garage.

This building was first owned by Lenahan and Goodchild. The had a frame shack on the river behind the E.H. Cabinet Shop. They moved this to Main Street (Railroad Avenue then) and built a brick building beside it. When they tore the shack down they added to the existing brick building. This constituted the building that burned.

In 1949, the Larsons adopted the five Green boys. The Green family had been residents of Heron, but then moved to a farm east of Spokane where they raised a garden and shipped some of their produce to Henry’s stores, keeping in contact with their friends. Their mother died in a car accident in 1930. With the death of their mother and their father being very ill and unable to support the family, all five boys went to live with the Larsons. At that time there had been a discussion of their adopting them, but the father said no, that he wanted the boys to carry his name.

Larsons & Greens was on the east corner of Main & Broad Street, Motors Garage was on the west corner where the Baptist Church now is. Norm’s Cafe was located on the east corner of Main & Mill Streets where the tattoo parlor now is.. The Post Office was located in the building now occupied by Little Bitterroot Thrift Store. The brick wall you can see next to Little Bitterroot is the only thing left of the Larsons & Greens store.