Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

540 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
owner and builder of the Music Hall block, and a very popular,
public-spirited, and enterprising citizen.
The most extensive conflagration of this period took place Sunday
afternoon, April 29, 1875, it being within a few weeks of the two
hundredth anniversary of the burning of Springfield by the Indians.
The fire started in the planing-mill of H. M. Conkey &, Co., Taylor
street, swept away $181,100 worth of property on that street, de-
voured $75,000 on Worthington street, cut a $191,200 hole out of
Main street, and careened into Bond place on a $16,250 errand ;
Wight avenue $24,800 the poorer ;
made
levelled dwelling-houses in Vernon
street to the tune of $99,350, and exhausted its strength on Water
street with a wind up of $8,200 ; total, $596,300 ; insurance, $445,-
270. Total buildings lost, 50, of which 30 were dwelling-houses.
The losses of $20,000 and OA'er are here added : Merriam & P>ost,
$40,000 ; Stebbins Manufacturing Company, $27,000 ; AVason Manu-
facturing Company, $25,000 ; A. B. Abbey, $30,000 ; McKnight,
Norton, & Hawley, $25,000 ; J. S. Hurlbut, $20,000 ; C. S. Hurlbut,
$40,000; Livermore, Swan, & Co., $45,000; Joseph Shaw estate,
$40,000.
Upon Washington's birthda}^, 1876, an elaborate Washington party
was held in the old Parsons tavern now on Court street. The build-
ing was filled with ancient furniture and bric-a-brac, and the actors
generall}^ appeared in costumes of the past.
Several changes in newspapers took place after the war. Henry
M. Burt, who started the " New England Homestead," at North-
ampton, moved the paper to Springfield in 1867, and subsequently
published the '• Evening Telegram." In 1872 the business interests
of the " Springfield Republican " were reorganized. Clark W. Bryan
and Mr. Tapley left the firm, taking the job printing, and forming the
Clark W. Bryan Company. The}' bought of Lewis H. Taylor the
" Springfield Evening Union," founded in 1864 by Edmund Anthony,
of New Bedford. William M. Pomeroy was made managing editor,
and E. H. Phelps local editor. The "Union" developed marked