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The Great Salem Fire broke out on June 25, 1914 and ultimately destroyed 1,600 buildings over 250 acres. More than 14,000 Salemites were displaced from their homes, including Salem Fraternity Superintendent Herbert C. Farwell. Farwell, who had spent the day at Camp Rowley with his family. When they returned, like many Salemites, they had lost everything.
The day following the Fire, Farwell offered the Salem Fraternity's community building for relief work. Charles W. Schaller of the Medford Boys and Girls Club suggested the building be used as a soup kitchen and that lunches be served to the homeless without registration or restriction. Over the next few days, more than 6,000 meals were served with food provided by donations and supplies from the fire relief headquarters at Salem Armory.
Schaller also suggested that Boy Scouts from surrounding towns could be used to create a messenger service to aid the various relief committees in Salem. For weeks, Schaller oversaw about 50 boys, who slept on cots in the upstairs music room of the Salem Fraternity building and assisted in the relief efforts during the day.
The Salem Fraternity boys spent the remainder of the summer at camp on Sawyer Island in Rowley. During the time, the Salem building was used for office work, where aid was given to displaced boys such as providing new clothes and finding employment.
In the months following the Fire, Salem issued numerous building permits, updated its building code, and widened streets to prevent future conflagration. By the following year, Salem had significantly rebuilt its burned district.
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#SalemTogether Posts:
Boston Street Postcard
St. Joseph Church
Boston Street Postcard (Part II)
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Digitized Archives:
The Great Salem Fire of 1914 on Digital Commons
The Great Salem Fire of 1914 on Flickr
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem Collection on Flickr
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Blog Posts:
Salem Fraternity
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