RICHARD SWARTS SAWMILL
5 miles from Salem on Silverton Road
July 22, 1887: "On Thursday night, about 12 o'clock, one of the hands of the sawmill of Richard Swarts, situated on the Silverton road, about five miles from Salem, was awakened by a bright light shining in his window. Jumping up he discovered that the mill was on fire. He roused the neighborhood, but the flames had gained such headway that all efforts to save the building from destruction proved futile. The Machinery of the mill, most of which was new, was utterly destroyed, together with a quantity of lumber and a house located near, occupied by A. Gelding. The household furniture was saved.
The origin of the fire was undoubtedly incendiary. Mr. Swarts states that he made the rounds of the yards about nine o'clock, according to his usual custom, and not a vestige of any fire was apparent. The fire in the furnace of the engine was always allowed to die out immediately after shutting down, at 6 o'clock. The flames were first discovered in the middle of the mill, some sixty or eighty feet from the furnace. No watchman had been kept for several years, and there was no insurance on the building. The loss is about $5,000.
This sawmill was built eight or nine years ago, and supplied the country around for many miles with lumber. It did a large business, and was rarely shut down, except for repairs. About fifteen men are thrown out of employment by the disaster.
Mr. Swarts will rebuild his mill, if he can get the means. He is almost broken up by the fire, and has but little lumber left to rebuild, if he decides to do so. The mill paid well, and was an almost indispensable industry for that part of the country." (Weekly Oregon Statesman)
The origin of the fire was undoubtedly incendiary. Mr. Swarts states that he made the rounds of the yards about nine o'clock, according to his usual custom, and not a vestige of any fire was apparent. The fire in the furnace of the engine was always allowed to die out immediately after shutting down, at 6 o'clock. The flames were first discovered in the middle of the mill, some sixty or eighty feet from the furnace. No watchman had been kept for several years, and there was no insurance on the building. The loss is about $5,000.
This sawmill was built eight or nine years ago, and supplied the country around for many miles with lumber. It did a large business, and was rarely shut down, except for repairs. About fifteen men are thrown out of employment by the disaster.
Mr. Swarts will rebuild his mill, if he can get the means. He is almost broken up by the fire, and has but little lumber left to rebuild, if he decides to do so. The mill paid well, and was an almost indispensable industry for that part of the country." (Weekly Oregon Statesman)