This week in history Sept. 16, 1922: Fire on Breck Main Street ignites days after Summit County’s first snowfall of the season

Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection/Courtesy photo
This week in history as reported by The Summit County Journal the week of Sept. 9, 1922.
Bad fire threatened Main Street this morning
The fire alarm sounded at 10:30 a.m. this morning and for a few moments, it looked as though the entire main block of town was threatened.
The fire had broken out in the little log cabin on the south end of the block between the Arlington hotel and the Automotive Service Co. garage. The building was occupied by George Hammersiag as a dwelling and was owned by Robert W. Foote. The fire started above the kitchen stove and soon enveloped the entire building.
A hundred or more men immediately answered the alarm and in a few moments three streams of water played on the blaze. When the firemen first reached the scene the front of the building was obscured by the smoke, but it took only a short amount of time with the good pressure of the local waterworks to get the fire under control and also prevent it from spreading to adjoining buildings, which might have meant the loss of the entire block.
The loss of the building is complete and will be about $500.
Shrine Pass to be scene of big event tomorrow
What promises to be one of the greatest outdoor events of the season will happen tomorrow if present plans do not fail. About 100 residents of Eagle County have already signified their intention of taking part in a get-together meeting with their Summit County neighbors on the top of Shrine Pass.
Major L.D. Blanvelt, Robert Higgins and J.A. Maloney of the state highway department will accompany the Eagle County boosters to the top, and the county commissioners from both counties will also be present.
It is hoped that a large attendance will be present from this part of the county.
Summit County boosters will take cars to Wheeler, where they will desert the cars and travel by horseback and afoot over the old stage road to the pass. Provision is made to furnish plenty of fish and other game for the big spread on the top of the mountain. Everyone will be expected to bring a basket lunch, and when they reach the top it will be turned into a community spread. The event is planned to further the cause of the Holy Cross Trail and to acquaint people living in this vicinity with this worthy enterprise.
The Breckenridge boosters will leave town about 9 a.m. They will be joined by those from Dillon and other county points and plan to meet at Wheeler at about 10:30 a.m. to start on the journey to the top.
Everyone should bring along their cameras, as the most inspiring sights in the Rocky Mountains will lay along the route to be traversed to the top.
First snow fell Thursday
Thursday afternoon the people of Breckenridge witnessed the first snowfall of the year, thus bringing closer to home the fact that winter will soon be upon us. What little flurries of snow fell in town disappeared as soon as they hit the sidewalk and ground, but when the shower was over, Baldy as well as other peaks in this vicinity showed the white blanket.
Even the snow on the hilltops disappeared the same evening as soon as the sun appeared from behind the clouds. Another evidence of fall is the bright-colored leaves that now deck our hillsides.
Anthony Renz meets fatal accident
Anthony Renz, who will be remembered by many as the schoolhouse painter last summer, met with an accident that caused instant death at Fort Collins last Monday. Mr. Renz lived with his family in Breckenridge for about a year and left here about six weeks ago after he had completed the job of painting the new Fairplay hotel.
Mr. Renz made many friends during his residence here, and they will regret to learn of the sad accident that deprives his family of a devoted husband and father. Mrs. Renz was also in very poor health and had made Breckenridge her home last year in hopes of bettering her condition.
Local news notes from all around Summit County
- S.J. Biggins of Kokomo arrived in town Thursday and is still sojourning with friends here.
- Mr. and Mrs. O.C. Houston and son spent Wednesday night in town visiting their old time friend, E.S. Mety.
- Reports from Salida inform us of the steady improvement in the condition of J.T. Adams of Dillon who was recently operated upon.

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