This is Part 1 of a two-part series about an arsonist who targeted downtown Barrie businesses in the late 1800s.
Since its earliest days, Barrie had the reputation of being a rather combustible town. The wood and roughcast buildings, which quickly sprang up in the business district downtown, had the annoying habit of burning down on a regular basis.
Of course, these structures were perfect fuel for a fire. Careless use of oil lanterns, sparks from passing trains, or a discarded match, when combined with wood sheds, piles of straw or other refuse, made for a deadly recipe.
The most careful shopkeeper stood little chance against the most devious and unpredictable of fire risks — the arsonist.
The prevailing term at the time for the loathsome fire bug was ‘incendiary.’ The old newspapers of the day regularly reported on local fires, and incendiarism was suspected in a high number of those.
The June 1871 blaze that destroyed the entire block on the south side of Dunlop Street East from Five Points to present-day Meridian Place was believed to have been deliberately set in a stable.
The north side of the street fell to flames four years to the day later. It, too, was believed to be the work of incendiaries, and three people were rounded up. Without any real evidence against them, the trio was discharged.
So it went, shadowy people pouring flammable liquids, tucking oily rags into crevices, striking matches and casually walking away. They were considered to be the worst sort of criminals and the sworn enemy of the honest business folks of Barrie.
The people wanted something done. That was easier said than done, especially when the citizens of Barrie often got in their own way. Of course, they wanted the arsonists to be caught, but there was quite a bit of pushback from taxpayers and council about the cost of funding the fire department or hiring a night watchman.
No one was apprehended, charged and brought to court in Barrie for the crime of arson until the spring of 1881, and the accused turned out to be the most unlikely of culprits.
The Boys Block is the section of Victorian buildings that stretches from Mulcaster Street to Meridian Place on the south side of Dunlop Street East. It was named for its early owner, Henry Boys. It retained its name even after the block burned to the ground in 1873 and was sold off to other people.
In 1876, a new brick block arose. The corner section next to Mulcaster Street contained three shops, and its owner, Samuel Wright, hired contractor Robert Orr to do the brickwork.
West of the Wright section, a block of six stores was built by the Loan and Strong Company, and completed in whimsical fashion by stonemason William Macey, who added stone gargoyle-like faces and other unique details to the brick front.
This area was the subject of a resolute headline that appeared in the April 28, 1881, edition of the Northern Advance: ‘A Bold and Determined Attempt at Incendiarism Happily Proves Abortive. A Dunlop Street Block has a Narrow Escape from the Torch of Some Miscreant.’
The newspaper account that followed was remarkably detailed in its telling of the story, and even included a well-crafted drawing of the scene of the crime.
Just before dawn on a Sunday morning, a young man had finished his rounds of the local beverage houses and was wobbling his way home along Dunlop Street East when he saw something. As he was preparing to cross Mulcaster Street, he noticed smoke coming from Wright’s group of stores. He knew these shops to be vacant.
As the fire alarm bell rang for all of Barrie to hear, the young man and merchant W.B. Capon kicked in a window and entered the shop. They found a fire burning briskly in a stairwell between two of the three shops in the block.
The fire brigade was quickly on scene and doused the blaze in no time. It was plain to everyone on the scene that the fire had started in four places, a sure sign of arson.
A coroner’s inquest was convened the next day, and was followed by more witness testimony in the police court. The findings narrowed the list of suspects down to one man, and the townspeople were stunned when they learned his name.
Each week, the Barrie Historical Archive provides BarrieToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past. This unique column features photos and stories from years gone by and is sure to appeal to the historian in each of us.
