Smithtown FD-The E. Baxter house burns

January 12, 1912 Edward Baxters general store, in which is located the Smithtown post office, was totally destroyed by fire this afternoon together with his two-story frame dwelling house and storeroom.
The contents of all of the three buildings, which included stock valued at close to $10,000, were a total loss.
The fire burned so rapidly that only through the efforts of the entire male population of Smithtown and Smithtown Branch was it kept from spreading to adjoining buildings. The flying sparks set fire to the Long Island Railroad Trestle which spans the Nissequogue River at that point, but the blaze was extinguished before it had gained appreciable headway.
The volunteer firemen under the leadership of J. Evans Crane, acting as chief, were greatly handicapped in reaching the blaze by the fact that they had to drag their apparatus over the mile and a half of road from “The Branch” to the Nissequogue River, and they did not reach the fire until it was beyond control. The firemen did excellent work, however, in saving the railroad bridge, Baxters garage and the residence of Theron L. Smith and Frank Gould, which are near by. The sparks even threatened to set fire to the Riverside Inn. But the employees kept busy with hose wetting down the roofs with water from the recently installed high pressure system, thus preventing the hotel from taking fire.
Mr. Baxter has not yet learned what set fire to his store, but believes that the blaze started from a rubbish heap in the back yard. The flames were first discovered in the storehouse attached to the store and rapidly spread through the building, communicating themselves to Baxters residence, which is next door. The total damage is estimated at close to $20,000.
1-25-1912 Brooklyn Eagle and also a small reference in the Smithtown FD 100th Anniversary book. Firefighters wer on scene for 12 hours. Also referenced in the “History of the Smithtown Fire Department 1956”