View from the Queen's Hotel looking North. Building marked x where the fire started.

Description

Front: Hazy, unclear photograph of the remains of the Toronto Fire. Flames were first spotted rising from the elevator shaft of the E. & S. Currie Neckwear factory (58 Wellington Street West, west of Bay Street) just after 8PM on the night of April 19th, 1904. It took 9 hours to get the fire under control, and by the time it was put out, 104 buildings were destroyed, causing $10.3 million 1904 dollars in damage, but no deaths. The fire spread as far south as Front Street, but firefighters managed to keep it from spreading as far east as Yonge Street. Help came from as far away as from cities as far away as Hamilton, Ontario and special express trains from Buffalo, New York. Ref: City of Toronto Archives. Handwritten caption: Many congratulations Saw the results in the paper My dear Walter I will write soon. Gladys In 1904, students' marks starting in elemtary school were published in the local newspaper. Back: Mr. Walter H. Spencer