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September 14, 2009

Backtracking: Fire-safety drill marks blaze at Emmons Farms 70 years later

As schoolchildren, we all learned about the values of fire safety. We practiced fire drills in our schools and were encouraged to do the same at home, as well as check the smoke detectors. It was all done in a serious manner, of course, but as adults we can admit it: sometimes those fire drills at school were also chances to socialize _ when the teachers weren’t looking.

Fire is no laughing matter; one can just ask the descendants of the Morgan family, owners of today’s Emmons Farms, where a major fire broke out 70 years ago this past May. Nearly every year since, the residents of this apartment community hold a fire drill to commemorate a calamity, usually in the late summer. The message is fire safety and prevention, but it is also a chance for the residents and owners to socialize.

It was Thursday, May 11, 1939, when fire destroyed two homes, three large barns, several smaller structures and a garage in the hamlet of Emmons that afternoon. At that time, Emmons Farms was the estate of Mrs. Kendall E. Morgan of Emmons and Chicago, Ill. It is currently co-owned by the Haupt and two other families. The farm primarily raised chickens at the time, but also had hop growing and lumber harvesting in its history. It became a residential community in 1964.

The blaze also swept the nearby homes owned by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Murphy of Emmons and Mrs. Francis Atwood of Cooperstown.

“Sparks added to the peril,” reported The Oneonta Star, “threatening to ignite other residences, including the Morgan mansion.”

High winds didn’t help the matter. Oneonta firemen were assisted by volunteers from the Schenevus and Cooperstown departments, 40 enrollees of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Gilbert Lake and a crew of state conservation workers. Farmhands saved 10 cows, six calves and more than 200 chickens, but 300 laying hens were lost. Two horses were in the field when the fire started. In all, damage exceeded $75,000 in the Emmons hamlet. George Sprague, employed by Mrs. Morgan, discovered the fire at about 2:15 p.m.

“I was working in the garden and heard a muffled sound,” Sprague said, “and when I turned around, the upper part of the cow barn was ablaze.” The stone foundation of the barn is still very visible on the grounds these days. Walter and Karl Haupt, descendants of the Morgans and co-owners of today’s Emmons Farms, were recently in Emmons for the nearly annual fire drill. The two grew up for a few years in what is today’s Farmhouse Restaurant. All these years later, there has never been a conclusion as to the cause of the fire.

“A number of theories have been put forward,” Walter Haupt said. “Spontaneous combustion of damp hay is one, or a jobless vagrant might have caused it, as at the time there had been a series of set fires.” An arsonist was eventually caught elsewhere but never admitted to this fire. “The third is a pyromaniac firefighter who set it so he could help put the fire out.” Since then, the owners have been interested in fire protection.

While today they’d immediately call 911, years ago a series of fire hydrants were installed on the grounds and a horse-drawn firefighting apparatus was purchased. Each year, that apparatus is brought out for a fire drill. As Emmons Farms became residential, the event turned into a social event, as well as a reminder as to what to do if a fire broke out. While growing up here, Karl Haupt had a special role during the annual event.

“I was considered the fire chief for awhile because I saved one of the buildings,” he said. Apparently, the fire had started in a garbage can, and he knew by the smell of it when he woke one morning. Quick reaction and knowing what to do prevented another calamity.

The central event in the annual drill is the ringing of the fire bell on the grounds. One of the Haupt family ancestors was an engineer with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The bell came from one of the old steam locomotives that were no longer in use.

This weekend, promoting home ownership was big in Oneonta in the early 1920s. ___

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.

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