Madera fire solved a problem

For The Madera Tribune

This old hook and ladder outfit was of no value in fighting Madera’s 1909 fire.

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On the night of June 5, 1909, Madera experienced a horrific conflagration, which wiped out all of the buildings on the east half of Block 25, just east of the Courthouse. The fire was a tragedy for a handful of Madera residents who suffered losses exceeding $10,000. Strangely enough, however, it proved to be a stroke of luck for the county.

It just so happened that in 1909, the Madera County Board of Supervisors saw the need for a courthouse park, and they were involved in some heavy negotiations. They were attempting to purchase the east side of block 25, which was that area that lay between the newly erected courthouse and F Street.

The talks were not going well. The parties could not get together on a price. At issue was a row of businesses along F Street, beginning with the Japanese Boarding House whose proprietor was known only as “George.” It stood on the corner of Sixth and F Streets. Known as the “Shady Corner,” the structure was one of the earliest commercial buildings to be built in Madera and at one time housed the Lucca Hotel, operated by a branch of the Simi family.