April 2019
Hoopla: News and Entertainment for Parker County Adults 55+
5
BOWDEN From Page 4
cleared people out and moved everybody back. “It didn’t take too long for it to burn. It was scary, smoke and flames were belching out. I’m surprised they didn’t build anything in its place. I look over there all the time and remember that day.” Don also has his own special COURTESY OF PATRICIA BANE COURTESY OF PATRICIA BANE memories of his family shopping at The photo on the right shows five of the six W.H. Bowden boys (from left) Elmer, Edgar, Andy, Roy and Lon. Elmer, Edgar Bowden’s. and Andy were partners in W.H. Bowden’s. Roy and Lon had their own department stores. Lon in Weatherford, and Roy in “They had a contest once. They were Mineral Wells. giving away a pair of tennis shoes. You was rerouted. having a clearance and was selling out ing the Bowden’s fire. He supports had to guess the spots on a giraffe,” he everything because it was closing. So, Despite the efforts of firefighters Modgling’s theory. said. “I missed it by one spot.” anyone who had access to the buildfrom Weatherford, Aledo, Spring“Remember, Bowden’s was over Some of the most vivid photos of town and Mineral Wells, along ing had access to all of the floors, in800,000 cubic feet of heavy wood the fire were taken by former Weathwith two firefighters from Odessa cluding the mezzanine. So there were construction that had been oiled for erford resident Gary Modgling, who who were visiting Mineral Wells at people all over that building. Yet, I’m years. We applied water for several lived a few blocks from downtown the time, the fire proved elusive. It supposed to believe that a cigarette days, ” he said. when the fire occurred. He also worked its way to the ground floor as smoldering in some corner started He said there were some scary moworked with several volunteer firewalls, ceilings and floors collapsed. this thing? I don’t think so, not withments when death tugged at their men who helped fight the blaze. out someone seeing something. As walls of the structure fell, shoulders. “I saw the smoke, grabbed my cam“Additionally, when the two inves“One of our firefighters was going era, my wife and my boy, and we went some nearby buildings also felt the up the back stairs to get to the seat of tigators made their announcement, downtown,” he said. “It was mesmer- effect. The Hub had some windows it was only a few days later, the bricks the fire when I noticed him. I yelled izing. The adrenaline rush and excite- broken when parts of the Bowden’s were still smoldering while they ment keeps you drawn to it. You can’t building fell. Business owners of sur- at him to get out, and he reluctantly stood on top of them to pronounce came back out of the fire. As I take your eyes away. that a cigarette started it. Too much was pulling out the remaining “I knew a lot of the guys “It didn’t take too long for it to burn. information and too quick. I don’t hose after the firefighter got fighting it, and it was It was scary, smoke and flames were know what started the fire, but I will out, I saw an easychair sponamazing to watch them. go to my grave believing that it was taneously ignite about 30 feet It’s something I’ll never forbelching out. I’m surprised they didn’t not a cigarette.” from the stairs,” he said. get, the intensity of it all.” build anything in its place. I look over Judy White’s family has owned Tex“I remember as I was putting Gary has his own theory there all the time and remember that day.” on my fire coat that day that a as Butane on nearby Church Street of what caused the buildsince 1958. She remembers being in prior chief of the volunteer deing to burn so fast. The rounding establishments hurriedly the office when the fire started. She partment walked up to me and said, building had wooden floors, and he said there will never be another store rushed customers out. ‘I wouldn’t trade places with you for believes the chemicals used to clean like Bowden’s in Weatherford. Though the fire was massive, no all of the tea in China.’” them built up over time. “People came from Peaster, Brock, one was killed, and only two firemen Harris said the fire had such an ef“I feel sure once the fire started, received minor injuries. fect on him that it’s the reason he be- all over the county. You didn’t just go that fueled it dramatically,” he said. Barker bought the building from came the county fire marshal. He be- to Fort Worth like we do now,” she “And that elevator up to the third said. “It’s where you went to get your the Bowden family in 1976, and after lieves the official reason given for its floor, that was like a chimney.” opening the Barker-Bowden Depart- start, an errant cigarette still lit when Brownie uniform. It’s where you got Being mid-afternoon on a Saturment Store in College Park Shopping thrown away, is not the truth. your kids’ shoes. You just went there day, the fire drew a large crowd of Center in 1978, the building was used for so many things. “I didn’t believe that a fair investispectators, around 1,000 by most estimostly for storage. “That store and that building have gation was done, ” he said. “How did mates, watching as smoke escaped Parker County Fire Marshal Kurt been gone for a long time now, but this fire grow from a cigarette to what from the windows of the second and Harris was a captain with the Weaththose of us who saw it when it was in became one of the largest fires in third floors of the historic building. erford Fire Department at the time its glory will always remember how Weatherford’s history? Law enforcement officials blocked off and was in charge of the crew fightspecial it was.” “On that Saturday, Bowden’s was access for blocks around, and traffic