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In the time prior to 1901, Salem was a boom town. This small town, founded in the late 1700's, was  in the newly stated frontier called West Virginia was growing rapidly - led by an oil and gas boom. On one day, in one moment all of that changed. To be exact on December 14, 1901, a "Terrible Calamity Befalls Salem" was reported by the Clarksburg Telegram. Forces then were driven, in part by rapid economic growth, the influx of outsiders and a clash of values. The result: a catastrophe. In five hours, a fire storm, "a hopeless fight against the hungry flames", of suspicious but unknown origin swept this booming and prosperous town. In all, the fire leveled over 10 acres and destroyed businesses and homes and displace about 200 people.

By and large, the history books have neglected the fire but the question still lingers: accident or arson? A rapid economic boom caused by the explosive expansion of oil and gas exploitation propelled the events leading to the fire. At the time, Salem had the highest per capita income. Men and women surged into the area to get a piece of the action, corruption ensued and municipal authorities clashed with county officials. All the ingredients for a disaster were in the mix. The sides were drawn. .   Local Historian Dorothy Upton Davis wrote, "before long, oil derricks dotted the hills and valley of the town. Trains unloaded tons of pipe at the freight yard. Oil workers poured in to produce the oil and gas.  Jerry-built houses sprang up to house workers." These poorly and quickly built structures were also the standard for the downtown business district and ultimately led to the magnitude of the catastrophe. Along with the boom came brothels and saloons. To better understand the clash at hand, you must consider that Salem was founded upon a pilgrimage of Seventh Day Baptists from New Jersey. History tells it that members of the Salem religious community " arose to decry the licentiousness and in return a mob one night popped up with torches to burn the college," recounts Davis. Locals were able to save the college, but not the city as a few nights later, on December 14 1901, "two hours after a temperance group had arranged to purchase the town newspaper office on Water Street, fire broke out in the news plant.   The fire spread to burn every business house in the block northwest of Main and Water streets;  jumped Water Street to burn Dr. Edwin Wilson's house and front-yard office on the northeast corner of Water and Main streets and every other building on both sides of Main Street to Irwin Street; and then moved on south as far as the railway station."  In 1902 brick structures were constructed to create a new business district.  

Salem was a boom town spurred on by the rapid development and exploitation of the huge oil and gas reserve that was discovered under the ground in the city limits. This photograph shows the landscape dotted with derricks. Note the absence of the normal West Virginia trees!

As prosperity hit Salem, the rapid growth led to poorly build wooded buildings as shown in the downtown scene.

This street scene shows an oxen driven wagon and the mud streets of Salem.

 

This was the campus of Salem College, now Salem International University, at the time of the crisis.

Community tension ignited into a great fire. This scene shows the firestorm downtown. A utility pole is in the foreground.

This depicts the downtown in full blaze.

And finally scenes from the time after the fire.

Another scene of the aftermath of the GREAT FIRE of 1901!