This past week I have been researching the two major fires that mark the beginning of Orlando's history; one in 1884, one in 1891. Utilizing newspapers and an interview with the Orlando Fire Department Historian, Sarah Boye and myself have gathered some very interesting information on this section of Orlando history.
The first fire in 1884 became known as "the great fire", which started from a small grocery store. While only four buildings were burned, it was considered "catastrophic" as Orlando at the time was the size of one square mile. From this fire sprout great change across Orlandoan bureaucracy. The first change came to the Orlando building codes, which from then on outlawed wooden first floors in new construction. Another change was in the then-volunteer Orlando fire brigade. The fire brigade fought valiantly to contain the fire of 1884, and in 1885, Orlando's first volunteer fire department was established under fire chief John Weeks.
The fire of 1891 is incredibly important to the history of Greenwood Cemetery. It is theorized that the fire started from something nearby before spreading across the cemetery, destroying nearly all the markers (they were made of wood). Many residents could not afford markers of stone until the railroads and catalog companies arrived some years later. This fire is what drove the city of Orlando to purchase the Orlando Cemetery Company. Today, Section H of Greenwood Cemetery appears nearly empty due to all the burnt wooden markers, but two have persevered. Elizabeth Bazemore and Harriet Adams' wooden markers are all that remains of the section and I will be researching them more in depth this week.
It is fascinating how something so destructive can be the pivotal moment for great change in a city.
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