1883, January 4 – Well added to Square for Fire Dept.

The well on the north-east corner of the square has been nicely curbed in and the water therefore made accessible for use.  It there was a good well on each of the other three corners of the square the very efficient fire department would have a beneficiary and there would not be such a scarcity of water during the dry summer months.

(Extracted from the Egyptian Press and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us/ )

1882, February 2 – Goodall Hotel has fire

Our people, and especially those on the east side of the square, were given a genuine scare on last Monday morning.  At about three o’clock the family of Mr. Thomas Perrigan, who occupy rooms in W.P. Goodall’s building, were aroused from their slumbers by the presence of smoke in their apartments.  They were not long to discovering that the house was ablaze in the closet under the steps in the front part of the building. Continue reading