The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., August 24, 1907, page 16

OUT IN THE COUNTRY
Fire at Bickleton

     The west end of Bickleton and was alarmed last Saturday morning by the cry of "fire," says the News. The fire had broken out in the Brockman building occupied by Bob Bailey and but for the timely discovery of the blaze and the prompt action of several residents of that vicinity, the building would have been destroyed, and as a strong west wind was blowing at the time, there's no telling where the fire would have stopped. Now while the "fire scare" is still fresh in our minds, continues the News, why not talk about some kind of fire protection? Situated as Bickleton is where the wind can get a fair sweep at it, if a fire would get started in it when some of those gales were blowing, it wouldn't be but a very short time until Bickleton would be wiped off the map. The insurance companies are well aware of the conditions and they have made the rate so high that they are almost prohibitive. If a fire should break out and destroy several of the buildings, it would mean the loss of much more property value than usual owing to the fact that but few of the owners carry insurance to anything like the full value of the property and many of them carry none at all. A few dollars from each person in town would be sufficient to get a good chemical fire engine or erect a suitable reservoir at the town well, so let's get busy and do something before the whole town goes up in smoke.

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©  Jeffrey L. Elmer