Salem Fire of 1914

On June 25, 1914, a terrible fire broke out in the Korn leather factory at 57 Boston Street. The fire spread through Salem destroying more than 400 buildings and leaving 3,500 families homeless. The Lowell Sun, a nearby newspaper had the headline: “HALF OF SALEM IN ASHES”. Other newspapers indicated that people in Boston filled the windows of their skyscrapers to watch the flames. Total losses were estimated at $15 million.

Both Harry Russell Tyler and his father Walter Otis Tyler would have been affected in some way by this fire. In 1910, both lived at Sewall Street less than 1 mile from the Korn factory. By 1917, Harry lived on North Street, also less than 1 mile from the spot where the fire originated.

The Library of Congress American Memory Project has a panoramic photo of Salem after the fire. To see this photo, go to the home page and enter “Salem fire 1914” in the search box. The first 2 listings are panoramic photos.

A very thorough report was written by Arthur B. Jones in 1914. It is a 23 chapter book with illustrations, which you can read here.

Another site with information of living conditions after the fire along with photos can be found here.