89 Years Ago
In 1935, the Armory belonged to the School of Mines. The first floor was leased out to the Golden Post Office and the US Geological Survey. The second floor contained WPA offices, classrooms, and sleeping rooms for ROTC students. The third floor contained a rifle range for use in military training.
The October 22, 1935 Oredigger reported that Lannie Brendle, who slept in a room below the firing range, awakened on Saturday morning, the 17th of October, to find that the ceiling of his room was “red hot.” He ran to get the caretaker, who called the fire department.
The fire had started when someone left a still-burning cigarette on a firing mat (a padded mat that shooters knelt or lay on as they shot). The fire burned slowly, first through the mat, then into the floor. It was moving into the 2nd floor ceiling when Brendle discovered it the next morning.
The fire department had to burrow through the floor and ceiling to get to the fire, but were able to stop it. Damage amounted to about $1,000.
Many thanks to an anonymous donor for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of October.
