Remembered by many and known as one of the more notorious fires in Granite City history, Reeses Drug Store caught fire on Wednesday, December 26, 1984. Advance Auto Parts currently fills the section of Bellemore Village Shopping Center that was formerly occupied by Reeses. The four photographs you see were taken by the late Steve Conkovich of Granite City. The man in the third photograph is unknown. From the December 27, 1984 edition of the Granite City Press-Record: Raging fire damages 11 Bellemore stores, Losses could top $5 million in a fire that heavily damaged 11 units of the Bellemore Village Shopping Center shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, it was informally estimated today. Starting at Reeses Drug Store, at the southern end of the largest of the centers two structures - windborne flames swept northward rapidly, despite firefighters diligent and often heroic efforts, witnesses said. The task of quelling the fire required nearly three hours. Under cloudy skies and with a temperature only slightly above freezing, the blaze caused several injuries and devastated the 30-year-old shopping center, which was the site of a 1960 campaign talk by soon-to-be President John F. Kennedy. No specific damage estimates have been made as yet by insurers and the owner of the center, Wolff Construction Co. of St. Louis. Dense smoke developed quickly and could not be avoided due to the strong wind gusts that swirled it around firemen, police and spectators. Ice in some areas made walking difficult and the cold chilled everyone despite the ferocity of the flames. The worst fire damage was noted in the big Reese store at 3216 Nameoki Road, the adjacent Dollar General Store at 3220, Northwest Financial Co. at 3224 and suites of medical offices at 3226. Also suffering heavy losses yesterday were Langenstein Insurance Agency at 3230 Nameoki Road, Bellemore Barber Shop at 3232, Bellemore Beauty Shop at 3234, a U.S. Postal Service office at 3242, Hudson Jewelers Ltd. at 3244, the large Gliks Department Store at 3248 and Shop and Save, a major grocery store at 3250.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 01:23:35 +0000
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