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Photos of Avery Firefighters
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Men, horses and supplies needed
for fighting the nearby forest fires arrived at Avery by train. Army troops
arrived, too;
they marched in from Wallace, having arrived there from Fort
George Wright at Spokane, Washington. By August 20 five fire camps were supplied
via pack trains from Avery. Three other large fires in the St. Joe country were
being fought from supply points at Wallace, Idaho and Iron Mountain, Montana.
Other, small fires were being fought, too. The following are some scenes from
Avery in the days preceding the Big Blowup.
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"Getting off the train at Avery. Depot in the background.
'Another view of fire fighters. So smoky, Buddie could scarcely see to
focus his camera.'"
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-41.
"Fire fighters getting off the
train at Avery."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-42.
"1910
Fire Fighters breakfast scene at fire fighting camp. 'Chow line at fire camp'.
Cooking breakfast. Man in the apron is Pat Grogan, leader of the men who burned
on Storm Creek."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-1.
"Eating breakfast. Fresh from the
night train, these firefighters were getting ready to face the Setzer Creek fire
burning northwest of Avery. Picked off the streets of Spokane or Butte, they
came ill-dressed and poorly equipped to fight fire."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-20.
Unloading horses off the C. M. & P. S. RR. "Have sent pictures to Seattle,
Colliers Weekly, furnished picture for two papers here, sold pictures for $15.00
to the Arcade picture theatre. These prints are from left overs but will give
you an idea of the conditions."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-43.
"At Avery 'Unloadng horses
for distribution of food. (FS Ranger) Ralph Debitt had 800 men under him. Pack
horses go out every morning. It takes 500 loaves of bread a day. Ralph's
expenses for one day is $600. He had his hands full. Had a boy he pays $2.00 a
day just to run errands. Another boy he pays $3.00 to keep the men's time.'"
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-46.
"The return of the horses in the evening. They have over 50 pack horses." Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-44.
"Fort
George Wright soldiers encamped at Avery. FS Ranger Ralph Debitt's
house is patrolled day and night by a guard."
Museum of North Idaho
Photo. FI-1-45.
"Black troops of the 25th Infantry out of Fort Wright in Spokane were detailed
to Avery to fight fire and to maintain order through the hectic days of the 1910
fire. As fires raged around the town, the soldiers partrolled to protect the
residents and property in Avery. Ranger Debitt is on the left."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-22.
"Ranger Debitt center with white
shirt and vest and 1910 fire fighters."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-31.
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"These two forest guards played
important roles during the 1910 Fire.
Harvey Fearn, on the right, was in charge of the 49 Meadows fire.
On the left stands Lee Hollingshead "who lost eighteen men
at the Dittman cabin on Big Creek.
"Many of the men in charge of large crews were in their early twenties."
Museum of North Idaho Photo. FI-1-21.