For years, people said the fire had started in the Wilcox Saloon, where Crawford Peter Wilcox ran a billiard hall and sold whisky and cigars. He had boasted that his establishment was clean and sanitary, thanks to the sawdust he used on the floor to catch spills. Did someone drop a cigar in the sawdust?
The truth is that no one really knows how or where the fire started. Even so, Wilcox was the fall guy, and the fire ruined his life. He was only 49 at the time, with a wife and four children.
He died three years later. According to his obituary, he suffered a host of health problems at the end of his life. He lost his right arm, and nearly lost his eyesight.
After the fire, the city banned wood-frame buildings in its business district. New construction had to be brick or stone. And just for good measure, the council banned saloons too.
Next location: Walk south down Woodland Avenue until you reach the corner of Woodland and New York. We'll stop there and take a look at the Museum of Art.
