AboutJanice Expertise I have lived in Wichita, Kansas my entire life and know the area very well. I LOVE living here! I would be glad to help other people with information they want or need to know. There`s No Place Like Home! :)
Expert: Janice Date: 5/8/2008 Subject: THE MITCHUEL FAMILY FIRE DEC. 25 1920
Question A BIG FIRE DEC. 25 1920 TOO THE LIVES OF 3 MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY. THEY WERE DANCERS. MY GRANDPARENTS. CLAUDE AND GUSSIE AND REX. MITCHUEL. THE BEACON SAID THEY LIVED AT THE LANDMARK BUILDING..GARFIELD HALL I BELIEVE AT 121 WEST 1ST ST. IN WICHITA. I HAVE BBEN TRYING TO FIND A PICTURE OF THIS BUILDING.
Answer Hi! I did search for a photo but was unable to find one.
There is a great website for old Wichita photos but I searched for both "Landmark Building" and "Garfield Hall" without success.
The website is: http://www.wichitaphotos.org/search.asp
Sorry I couldn't be more help. Good Luck! Janice
I did find the following information at the www.wichita.gov
Wichita Fire Department History site.
City of Wichita > City Offices > Fire Department > History > 08 - The Brownewell Administration > 1920
c. 1920's - Other related duties - Central Station.
As the roaring twenties arrived, so did the roaring fires. January 21, 1920, the Johnson-Larimer Fire, Jones Motor Company on February 19, and Garfield Hall where three lives were lost. During a lull between fires, a fire show was put on by the department, that involved lashing the Bull Wagon, Service Truck and the Old Steamer together. This gave the appearance of one vehicle that went roaring down Douglas Avenue, from Union Station to the River, shooting off fireworks which left a stream of fire behind that looked like a comet. This spectacular was witnessed by thirty to fifty thousand citizens who lined Douglas to watch the fire run before going to the forum for other attractions.
An increasing problem for Wichita firemen was developing, that of vehicle accidents. There had been several wrecks involving fire apparatus, but they were beginning to become frequent happenings. Apparently, this problem was beginning to irritate Chief Brownewell, and when a Studebaker struck one of his pumpers at Third and Lawrence, the Chief sent the car's owner a bill for damages. A month later, a streetcar struck a fire truck at Douglas and Chautauqua that injured three firemen. There were by actual count, twenty-six wrecks over a ten year period, with eighteen men injured and two killed. These accidents made a real impression on men who later on as District Chiefs emphasized driver safety.
