Publisher’s Note: The following article, published in the Dec. 9, 1898 edition of The News Messenger details a fire that destroyed Marshall’s high school. A portion of this article will be featured in the new book: “The Sesquicentennial: Cultivating 150 Years of History in Marshall and Lyon County.” Books can be ordered for $44.95 by calling The Independent or filling out the form included in an advertisement in today’s paper.

(Dec. 9) The fine high school building, one of the prides of Marshall, and a handsome and very well built edifice occupying the most sightly and prominent block in town, lies this morning in ruins. Only the four brick walls, sooted with smoke and covered with ice, are standing, and the smoking ruins present a desolate contrast to what was 24 hours ago a busy hive of educational industry, filled with more than 300 pupil bees eagerly building a foundation of learning. Nearly 350 pupils are this morning taking an enforced vacation, but it is not a happy holiday for them, for even the children feel something of the sense of loss which everyone in Marshall keenly appreciates.

Fire was discovered in the building at about five minutes past 11 o’clock Thursday night, and though the flames were still confined to a comparatively small area in the third story, they had made good headway, and the fire had probably been burning for three or four hours, slowly creeping at first, and burning rapidly as flames spread. The fire was discovered by people coming from an evening party. Fred Healy was among the number passing, with a fireman’s instinct thought he smelled smoke and after passing the building turned back to investigate. As he approached, the smell of burning wood was very strong, and he could see light which he was sure could only come from a fire.

The fire originated in the third story, where is located the laboratory and an extensive supply of apparatus and chemicals, the superintendent’s office, and a class room, on the south half of the upper floor, the other half of the floor being unfinished and used as a store room. The fire might have originated in the laboratory, as did once before a small fire, from some of the chemicals or combustible supplies, but it is more than probable the origin was in the superintendent’s office, from a stove, which is about the only supportable theory. While the building is heated with furnaces, when part of the third story was finished for use it was found impracticable to heat that story with the furnaces, and a stove in the office has been in use for the past year, soft coal being used.

The fire department was powerless to check the flames on account of the dense smoke which prevented them from carrying their hose into the third story, where, if plenty of water might have been had at once, the building might have been saved.

But it was a physical impossibility to go into that smoke, and there was no way of driving the smoke out, so the fire had to be fought from the outside and from the second floor. Three streams were kept upon the fast-spreading flames, and for a long time one hose was kept in the second story and the men remained there until several minutes past the danger point, but to no avail. But a few minutes after the firemen left the second story, in the high school room, the roof began to fall, the tall flag pole shivered, and the belfry tower swayed and then slowly and majestically toppled over and crashed through the roof and third the floor, stopping upon the second floor, and as the big bell, which for years has called the children to school, fell into the ruins it sounded forth one last toll.

The loss is estimated to be close to $25,000. The building was erected in 1886 at a cost of $15,000, and was built of Marshall brick. When it was finished it ranked as one of the best country school buildings in the state, and was considered a model of construction, arrangement and convenience.