1915 Taftville Fire
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Around 9 p.m. on May 30, 1915, a fire started in the Lincoln Club, which was in the corner building of Merchants and Hunters avenues. The fire destroyed three grocery stores, two butcher shops, a clothing store, confectionery store, bakery, drug store and a barbershop.
The Ponemah Mill Fire Company No. 1, the only fire company in Taftville at the time, responded with its only truck to the alarm, only to find the club almost destroyed and several other buildings burning out of control.
The mill owned the fire company and used it only on mill properties. The Norwich Fire Department came to help, but by then eight buildings were a total loss. It was half of Taftville’s business district. Many families were also left homeless.
The 1915 Cadillac touring car shown below was owned by the Ponemah Mill Fire Company in 1915. Before going into service it was turned into a firefighting vehicle by mill workers. After its service at the mill, it was sold to the Taftville Fire Department in 1958 for one-dollar. Later, it was put on display at the Connecticut Fire Museum in Manchester. Finally, in 2019 the vehicle was returned back to its Taftville roots.
Acknowledgements
“Fire Swept Taftville Buildings,” (05/31/1915), Norwich Bulletin
“Taftville Fire Company Remains Close-knit After 100 Years of Service,” (03/11/2017), by Ryan Blessing
“CT Station Welcomes Back 1915 Fire Truck,” (08/22/1019), by John Penny
“Taftville Fire Co. No. 1”
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “1915 Taftville fire” in the SEARCH box.
1938 Hurricane of 1938
Packing a storm surge of 12-15 feet and winds of more than 120 mph, the Category 3 hurricane caused $400,000,000 ($7.3 billion in today’s dollars) in property damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
*Place cursor over images to magnify
The photo shows the destruction of railroad freight house at the site of present-day Howard T. Brown Park.
This photo shows how present-day Howard T. Brown Park looked after the hurricane struck.
The Thames River flooded into Franklin Square and caused property damage across the region due to downed trees and branches and extensive flooding.
The photo shows Captain Howell of the Salvation Army lending a had on flooded Franklin Street. On September 21, 1938, the region suffered a monster hurricane. Tragically underestimated, the hurricane barged into the region with little warning, killing nearly 600 people in New England and destroying 9,000 homes and businesses and 2,600 boats.
This photos show the washed-out railroad tracks and the Norwich railroad freight house (near present-day downtown Norwich) after the hurricane.
This unfortunate event is well documented. The information and photo source, “Hurricane Views ~ September 21, 1938,” by Miles E. Standish provide a detailed report and large number of photos.
Acknowledgements
“Hurricane Views ~ September 21, 1938,” by Miles E. Standish, published by the Norwich Bulletin
“Hurricane of 1938 Devastated the Region,” (09/27/2009), by Bill Stanley
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “hurricane” in the SEARCH box.
1954 Air France Airplane Crash
On August 3, 1954 Air France Flight 075, a trans-Atlantic flight originating in Paris and bound for Mexico City, came to rest about 50 feet from the homestead on the Valentine Sebastian farm in Preston.
The 1955 Civil Aeronautic Board report listed “inadequate in-flight planning” as the probable crash cause. The pilot “did not take a firm selection of a suitable airport within range of the fuel remaining at the time of the missed approach.”
Even though the plane exploded and burst into flames, all twenty-nine passengers and eight crew members survived. However, six passengers and three crewmen were hospitalized. Most of the passengers were released from the hospital within days. One survivor, textile executive Aaron Rosenstein, gave out 10 checks for $100 in gratitude to Backus Hospital, the state police, the Sebastian family and several of the fire companies.
The German prince, 30 year-old Alfons Langerburg, told of how he kicked open the plane’s wing door after the crash to escape. He said he barely missed being hit by an exploding engine. The prince made news again the following year, when he married a 15 year old Austrian princess in Rome.
Acknowledgements
“All on Board Survived 1954 Plane Crash in Preston” , 08/22/2007, by Bill Stanley
Wikipedia
New York Times 08/04/1954