This is from the Oct. 13, 1886 Hazel Green Herald. It is a story about a fire in Jackson Co. The newspaper also carried items from surrounding counties. The names in the article are familiar ones in Wolfe Co. Norma JACKSON IN FLAMES C. J. Little's Store and the Court House in Ashes Other Valuable Property Saved Only By the Vigorous Use of Wet Blankets Jackson, Ky., Oct. 10 --At 3 o'clock this morning the large storehouse of C. J. Little, in this place, was discovered to be on fire. Hiram Centers, who lives in the jail, discovered it, the noise of the cracking timber having awakened him. He found that the back door of the storehouse, which opened toward the court house was open and the stairway just inside the door was wrapt in flames, as was also the exterior of the building just south of the door. The flames on the outside were running up the walls about eight feet. The whole interior of the house was full of smoke, and as there was powder in the building, it was thought dangerous to enter. The show case just inside the front door and the counter scales were all that was saved. Mr. Little's residence stands about sixty feet from the store and was covering it with wet blankets that it was saved. The court house which stood just across the street east of the storehouse caught fire upon the roof, and before any water could be gotten upon it the fire was too far advanced to be controled. The residence of W. S. Haddix, which is about 100 feet west of the storehouse, was saved by a free use of water. The clerk's offices, though standing so near the court house were saved by keeping the roof wet. Hargis' store, just opposite the court house, north, was kept wet and as the wind was blowing south there there was no damage to it. Mr. Little's loss is $8,000 and $6,500 on the good and $1,500 on the house. he holds a policy in one of Hoffman's companies of $1,000 on the storehouse and $3,000 on the stock. This leaves a loss of $4,000 not covered. Mr. Little has the profound sympathy of the community in his severe loss. Being a man of unusual energy and business qualifications, even this heavy loss will only serve to nerve him to still greater efforts. the door being open, the presumption is that the store was robbed and either purposely or accidentally set on fire. THE COURT HOUSE Only the chairs and bell of the court house were saved. This ancient scene of so many forensic contests is now but brick and ashes. It had done its work, and was already about to fall into the river. The County Court has been agitating the question of building a new court house and now the question is settled. This court house has been the only place for church or school for several years until within the last year a church has been built and a school building is now in the process of erection, and will be ready by the first of January next. Another fortunate circumstance is that Mr. Little recently bought out Snowden and Hogg's stock of goods just across the river in the Pan Handle and has been doing business there for the past two weeks. A load of goods that cost $1,100 was within a few miles of Jackson when the fire occurred. If they had arrived a day earlier that much more would have added to the loss. Norma from - Middletown, Ohio Family Page: http://www.angelfire.com/oh/myfamilygenes Gentry Records Page: http://members.tripod.com/~nanny_4/index.html