by local historian, Wilbur Bush
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In 1962, a tremendous Gallatin fire caused heavy damage to 12 businesses. More severely, it destroyed the Elbert Hotel and J-K TV shop as well as causing heavy damage to the Gallatin Bowl. Apparently, the fire started in the back of the TV repair shop. All the expensive repair equipment was lost. Before the fire was under control, the north end of the square was practically in ashes.
The fire was discovered by the night watchman while he was making his nightly rounds and noticed a light in the rear of the bowling alley. Upon investigating, he saw the building in flames. When the firemen arrived, they decided due to the location of six frame buildings and the gusty winds, they couldn’t be saved. Volunteers started removing the contents which resulted in one-half of the merchandise being saved. All the powder and dynamite in the Osborn Bros. Store was carried out and placed on the courthouse lawn. The fire was so intense, a family living a quarter of a mile away had frequent tiny pieces of burnt material and shingles falling near their house. Finally, the fire was extinguished when it reached the two-story brick building used to house A.T. Ray’s Grocery. Damage was estimated at $12,000.
In September 1964, 27 months after the fire that struck the Gallatin square taking the Elbert Hotel, J-K TV shop, and the Gallatin Bowl, a second fire occurred which took the same three buildings. All three buildings were so damaged they were a total loss. The Elbert Hotel and the J-K TV were in the final stages of being rebuilt. At first, fire damage was estimated to be $200,000, but a later figure of $100,000 seemed more accurate.
Other nearby businesses also suffered much damage, especially the Land Title office, and the Brandom and Brandom law offices. Luckily, all the records and documents of the title office had been placed in a vault ahead of the fire. They were still legible, but due to the smoke damage they needed to re-copied.
The Gallatin, Trenton, Bethany and Hamilton fire departments were all utilized to bring the fire under control. So much water was used, the 75,000 gallon capacity water tower had been drained and water had to be pumped directly from the wells into the mains at the rate of 500 gallons per minute.
Before the tragedy was over, a Gallatin fireman had been injured when struck by a falling brick, and another fireman suffered smoke inhalation.