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Calgary Fire of 1886

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Ultimately, fourteen buildings were destroyed or razed in attempts to control the blaze, including four stores, three warehouses, three hotels, a tinsmith shop and a saloon. Losses were estimated at $ 103,200; however no one was killed or injured. Authorities suggested arson may have been involved,
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In the early morning of November 7, 1886, flames were reported at the rear wall of the Parish and Son flour and feed store. The Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps was sent to battle the fire, and broke into the Canadian Pacific Railway's freight shed to retrieve the impounded chemical engine.
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noted that this "failed owing to the force of the charge not being sufficiently concentrated". The fire was stopped then extinguished after the break was created. This would be the second time George Murdoch would lose a business to fire, the first occurring in 1871 during
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The Town of Calgary was officially incorporated exactly two years earlier on November 7, 1884, under Northwest Territories Ordinance. The municipal government was in disorder following the events of the
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to prevent further damage, and former mayor George Murdoch agreed and participated in the demolition of his harness shop. An attempt was made to use gunpowder to blow up Murdoch's store, however the
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on Sunday, November 7, 1886. The fire began at the rear wall of the local flour and feed store, and spread through the community's wooden structures leading to the destruction of 18 buildings.
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as mayor and replaced two other members of council. Neither faction was capable of governing the town, which led to the newly ordered chemical engine for the recently organized
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The fire resulted in changes in local construction practices to stop the likelihood and rapid spread of future fires including an increased reliance on
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requiring all large downtown buildings were to be built with sandstone, which was readily available nearby in the form of
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for new structures, which resulted in the town's early nickname "Sandstone City".
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Local government would be restored a few days before the fire in the
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To reduce the potential for future fires, city officials drafted a
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Aftermath of the fire between Centre Street and 1st Street SE.
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George Murdoch's harness shop - Not consumed by fire.
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decisively win the election which was overturned by
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June 17, 2016. p. 15. 328: 163: 16:1886 fire in Calgary, Alberta 1003:19th-century fires in Canada 953:1880s fires in North America 281:Dunn & Lineham Warehouse 7: 323:List of disasters in Canada 306: 261:List of buildings destroyed 10: 1019: 816:Calgary Board of Education 235:but no arrests were made. 45:November 7, 1886 915: 880: 849: 808: 782: 756: 730: 679: 633: 597: 445:The Calgary Weekly Herald 376:Alberta Municipal Affairs 290:Hunter Store and Dwelling 128: 120: 112: 107: 68: 57: 40: 28: 23: 968:1886 disasters in Canada 702:Rocky Mountain Foothills 293:Ellis Store and Building 278:Misenv Manufacturing Co. 92:51.024068°N 114.034274°W 473:MacEwan, Grant (1975). 318:List of fires in Canada 313:History of firefighting 193:Calgary Fire Department 836:Calgary Public Library 182:Stipendiary Magistrate 97:51.024068; -114.034274 978:Urban fires in Canada 841:University of Calgary 284:I. G. Baker & Co. 272:Mortinier's Bake Shop 224:Calgary Weekly Herald 998:November 1886 events 983:Disasters in Alberta 743:The Bow (skyscraper) 722:Prince's Island Park 666:1988 Winter Olympics 538:"The Sandstone City" 441:"Fire! Come at Last" 343:"Sandstone quarries" 173:which saw incumbent 143:Calgary Fire of 1886 24:Calgary Fire of 1886 296:S. Parish & Co. 269:Mountain View Hotel 251:Wesley Fletcher Orr 88: /  948:History of Calgary 641:2013 Calgary flood 620:Notable Calgarians 544:on August 13, 2011 404:Ward, Tom (1975). 299:J. Hodway Building 229:Great Chicago Fire 210:Fire and aftermath 135:103,200 (estimate) 121:Non-fatal injuries 935: 934: 862:Calgary White Hat 651:Fairmont Palliser 646:Hub Oil explosion 518:on March 11, 2020 486:978-0-91930-650-9 349:. City of Calgary 255:Calgary City Hall 204:George Clift King 139: 138: 1010: 993:1880s in Calgary 924: 923: 857:Calgary Stampede 584: 577: 570: 561: 560: 554: 553: 551: 549: 534: 528: 527: 525: 523: 504: 498: 497: 495: 493: 470: 457: 456: 454: 452: 437: 428: 427: 411: 401: 395: 394: 392: 390: 384: 373: 365: 359: 358: 356: 354: 339: 103: 102: 100: 99: 98: 93: 89: 86: 85: 84: 81: 62:Calgary, Alberta 53: 52: 50: 33: 21: 20: 1018: 1017: 1013: 1012: 1011: 1009: 1008: 1007: 963:1886 in Alberta 938: 937: 936: 931: 911: 895:Calgary Transit 876: 845: 804: 783:Public services 778: 752: 726: 692:Greater Calgary 675: 629: 593: 591:City of Calgary 588: 558: 557: 547: 545: 536: 535: 531: 521: 519: 506: 505: 501: 491: 489: 487: 471: 460: 450: 448: 439: 438: 431: 424: 402: 398: 388: 386: 382: 371: 367: 366: 362: 352: 350: 341: 340: 336: 331: 309: 263: 212: 206:elected mayor. 185:Jeremiah Travis 166: 96: 94: 90: 87: 82: 79: 77: 75: 74: 48: 46: 44: 36: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1016: 1006: 1005: 1000: 995: 990: 985: 980: 975: 970: 965: 960: 955: 950: 933: 932: 930: 929: 916: 913: 912: 910: 909: 904: 903: 902: 892: 886: 884: 882:Transportation 878: 877: 875: 874: 869: 864: 859: 853: 851: 847: 846: 844: 843: 838: 833: 828: 823: 818: 812: 810: 806: 805: 803: 802: 797: 792: 786: 784: 780: 779: 777: 776: 771: 766: 760: 758: 754: 753: 751: 750: 745: 740: 734: 732: 728: 727: 725: 724: 719: 714: 709: 707:Aspen parkland 704: 699: 697:Neighbourhoods 694: 689: 683: 681: 677: 676: 674: 673: 668: 663: 658: 653: 648: 643: 637: 635: 631: 630: 628: 627: 622: 617: 612: 607: 601: 599: 595: 594: 587: 586: 579: 572: 564: 556: 555: 529: 499: 485: 458: 429: 422: 396: 360: 333: 332: 330: 327: 326: 325: 320: 315: 308: 305: 304: 303: 300: 297: 294: 291: 288: 285: 282: 279: 276: 273: 270: 267: 266:Athletic Hotel 262: 259: 211: 208: 178:George Murdoch 165: 162: 137: 136: 130: 126: 125: 122: 118: 117: 114: 110: 109: 105: 104: 72: 66: 65: 59: 55: 54: 42: 38: 37: 34: 26: 25: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1015: 1004: 1001: 999: 996: 994: 991: 989: 986: 984: 981: 979: 976: 974: 971: 969: 966: 964: 961: 959: 956: 954: 951: 949: 946: 945: 943: 928: 927: 918: 917: 914: 908: 905: 901: 898: 897: 896: 893: 891: 888: 887: 885: 883: 879: 873: 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 858: 855: 854: 852: 848: 842: 839: 837: 834: 832: 829: 827: 824: 822: 819: 817: 814: 813: 811: 807: 801: 798: 796: 793: 791: 788: 787: 785: 781: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 761: 759: 755: 749: 746: 744: 741: 739: 736: 735: 733: 729: 723: 720: 718: 715: 713: 710: 708: 705: 703: 700: 698: 695: 693: 690: 688: 685: 684: 682: 678: 672: 669: 667: 664: 662: 659: 657: 654: 652: 649: 647: 644: 642: 639: 638: 636: 632: 626: 625:Sister cities 623: 621: 618: 616: 613: 611: 608: 606: 603: 602: 600: 596: 592: 585: 580: 578: 573: 571: 566: 565: 562: 543: 539: 533: 517: 513: 509: 503: 488: 482: 478: 477: 469: 467: 465: 463: 446: 442: 436: 434: 425: 423:0-7712-1012-4 419: 415: 410: 409: 400: 381: 377: 370: 364: 348: 344: 338: 334: 324: 321: 319: 316: 314: 311: 310: 301: 298: 295: 292: 289: 286: 283: 280: 277: 275:Sherman House 274: 271: 268: 265: 264: 258: 256: 252: 248: 245: 241: 236: 232: 230: 225: 221: 216: 207: 205: 201: 196: 194: 190: 186: 183: 179: 176: 172: 161: 159: 154: 152: 148: 147:conflagration 144: 134: 131: 127: 123: 119: 115: 111: 106: 101: 73: 71: 67: 63: 60: 56: 43: 39: 32: 27: 22: 19: 919: 764:City Council 660: 610:Demographics 605:Coat of arms 546:. 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Index


Calgary, Alberta
Coordinates
51°01′27″N 114°02′03″W / 51.024068°N 114.034274°W / 51.024068; -114.034274
$
conflagration
Calgary
sandstone
January 1886 Calgary municipal election
Mayor
George Murdoch
Stipendiary Magistrate
Jeremiah Travis
James Reilly
Calgary Fire Department
November 3, 1886, municipal election
George Clift King
firebreak
Calgary Weekly Herald
Great Chicago Fire
bylaw
Paskapoo
sandstone
Wesley Fletcher Orr
Calgary City Hall
History of firefighting
List of fires in Canada
List of disasters in Canada
"Sandstone quarries"
"Location and History Profile: City of Calgary"

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