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Feb. 2,1965
HARTINGTON — The Fred Reed building between the Cedar County News and Kneifl Cleaners in downtown Hartington was destroyed by fire late Sunday morning.
Hartington firemen were able to save the adjacent buildings, though.
The Reed structure and contents of the building, which Reed has lived in for the past several years, were a total loss.
The fire also damaged the roof and south wall of the Kneifl Cleaners building, but other nearby buildings don’t appear to be damaged.
Reed said he awoke when flames burst out near the heating stove. He tried to put the fire out but smoke became too dense and he had to leave the building. Reed then went to the Kneifl business to awaken Maurice Kneifl, who turned in the fire alarm at 2:45 a.m.
Kneifl and several others quickly removed the clothes from his shop to Hartington Motors across the street.
Flames were pouring out of the Reed building when firemen arrived. They remained on the scene until 9 a.m. Sixteen below zero temperatures hampered the firefighters.
Fire chief Lester Samelson said the firemen were extremely grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Iver Cady and Mrs. Tom Steffen for providing hot coffee during the cold hours.
Feb. 2,1965
COLERIDGE — A large barn was destroyed and several livestock were burned in a fire on the LeRoy Wolfe farm six miles west of Coleridge about 11:45 p.m. Sunday.
Mr. Wolfe was awakened by a bright glare in the bedroom to find the barn on fire.
He summoned the Coleridge Fire Department, but the fire had gotten too much of a head start and there was no way of saving the building.
Burned in the barn were 14 sows and 130 head of small pigs - some of which belonged to the Wolfe boys for 4-H projects; a beef steer which was to have been butchered the next day; milking equipment; hay and ground feed.
Cause of the fire was not known. Some of the firemen remained on the scene until 8 a.m. Monday.
