On Jan. 9, 1925, at around 11:40 p.m. the church bell began to ring and the people of the little town of Forks began running in the streets as smoke and fire were coming from the pool hall. Guests at the Forks Hotel next door ran for their lives as a bucket brigade was formed using the creek that ran down Division Street as a water source.

Men climbed the stairs at the IOOF hall with buckets of water in hand and crossed a ladder to the Past Time Pool Hall but the flames soon jumped Division Street and as the pool hall caught fire someone had the bright idea to dynamite the south side of the building so it would not spread to the Oddfellow’s Building. It didn’t help.

Soon the IOOF hall was also on fire. A pump was eventually placed in the creek but it was too late and by 4:30 a.m. the next day six buildings were gone. Thankfully the flames spared the west side of the street.

Within a year new buildings replace those burned, construction of a long discussed water system was begun, fire hydrants were placed at street corners and a volunteer fire department was organized.