Standard [Clarksville, TX], July 14, 1860
We made a notice for our last issue, of the enlargement of the Dallas Herald, and now, as will be seen below we have to record the destruction of the establishment, and of nearly all the business section of Dallas; the stores, offices, hotels, &c., around the Square. We sincerely sympathize with the serious losses of all, several of them our personal friends; and we feel the sympathy of fraternal association with our brethren of the Herald. Mr. Swindells had just got back from the North, where he had made purchases; only a part of which, we think, had been received. We presume he will be able to put his Press in working order again; the Herald building being a one story framed house, we suppose the heat of the conflagration hardly melted any of the iron. We hope soon to see the Herald, in the field once more, making its announcements, as usual, with the force of a trumpet blast; and we trust that the several mercantile houses will be able to fill up their stocks and renew. We would suppose that much merchandise might have been packed out to places of safety. At least we hope so. Dallas was a delightful little village, and we feel certain, with the notable enterprise of the inhabitants, that the burnt district will renew all its late reputable appearance, and perhaps remodel and improve.
Dallas, Texas, July 10, 1860.
Major C. DeMorse, Clarksville:
Dear Sir:—I write this morning to inform you of the occurrence of the most appalling event that has ever visited Dallas. On Sunday, the 8th about 2 o’clock, a fire broke out among some rubbish on the outside of the store of Messrs. W. W. Peak & Bro., and such was the rapidity of the flames, that in less than two hours, every building on the western and northern sides of the square, and half of those on the eastern were consumed, together with very nearly all their contents. Both the hotels,—the Dallas and the Crutchfield—the “Herald” office, and every store in town are now a mass of ruins. I have not time now to give you a list of the buildings destroyed,—the loss is variously estimated at from $300,000 to $400,000, on which there was but about $10,000 insurance. Already I hear the sound of the carpenters, &c., preparing to rebuild some of the stores. Most if not all our merchants will go to work at once to rebuild, and I hope to see our town, in a short time, rebuilt more substantially if not more elegantly than it was before the fire.
Will you please announce in the “Standard” that I have ordered an entire new outfit for the Herald, and shall issue the paper just as soon as I can get the material here. I saved nothing from the office but my books.
Yesterday afternoon another fire took place, about a mile and a half from town. The residences of Mr. J. J. Eakins and Silas Leonard, were entirely consumed together with all their contents. The families were in town at the time, and nothing was saved but a bed or two.
Very truly, yours, in haste,
John W. Swindells,
Publisher Dallas Herald.
Since receiving the above, we learn that the Store of Mr. Dupree at Ladonia, Fannin County, was burned some three days since believed to have ignited from combustion of matches, resulting from the heated atmosphere. Also a store at Milford; similar cause; also a fire fortunately suppressed, but commencing from the same cause, ignition of matches, in the Drug Store at Honey Grove.