Midland Garage and Store Burned Friday Night, Nov. 16, 1923

Garage and Store at Midland Burned During Night. . . Both Buildings Were Property of Mr. P.J. Hartsell, Who Suffered Loss in Fire of About $10,000. . . Another Store Almost Burned. . . It is Property of Mr. J.F. Sossoman and Was Saved Only by Heroic Work—Cars Taken From the Garage

A fire of undetermined origin destroyed the store and garage of Mr. P.J. Hartsell of Midland Friday night about 2 o’clock. When the fire was first discovered it had gained such headway that it was impossible to check it.

The garage, which is located about 38 feet from the store, caught from the flames and it also was completely burned. By heroic work about $2,000 worth of stock and cars were saved from the garage. Nothing at all was saved from the stock of merchandise, everything in the store falling a victim to the blaze.

The store of Mr. J.F. Sossamon, located about 25 feet from the garage, was saved from burning only by fast and furious work of the citizens of Midland. There is no water supply in Midland, but bucket brigades were formed and carried water from several wells, this accounting for saving other buildings near the scene of the fire. There was about $2,000 insurance on the garage but none at all on the stock merchandise carried by Mr. Hartsell, whose loss is about $10,000.

Mr. Comer, section foreman who has rooms at Mr. W.M. Morgan’s, was the first person to discover the fire, the light through the window in his room causing him to awake.

Mr. Donald F. Widenhouse entered the burning garage and drove a truck out, and also was instrumental in saving practically all of the other property that was saved from the garage.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Nov. 17, 1923. Last name of the owner of store that was saved was spelled Sossoman in headline and Sossaman in story.