Crescent Macaroni and Cracker Company
Flames gutted the
Crescent Macaroni and Cracker Company on January 25, 1915.
The plant at Fifth and Iowa Streets in Davenport, Iowa, was the largest macaroni company in the country. The company that employed 250 laborers and 35 salespeople had its best year in 1914, requiring employees to work overtime most of the year.
The fire broke out shortly after 8:15 p.m.
Night watchman George Montz said it started in front of oven number one on the west side of the plant. He turned in the alarm at 8:16, but nearly twenty minutes passed before the first fire company arrived.
The Davenport Fire Department later explained that the delay was a matter of bad timing. They were fighting a fire at the Amazon Pickling and Vinegar Works across town.
The building housed the company’s entire inventory—macaroni, crackers, paper, and wooden boxes. A firefighter said it was “like fighting a huge bonfire within four brick walls.”
Ruins of the Crescent Macaroni and Cracker Company
The heat built. Windows blew out. Then the walls gave way.
“The side walls fell into the flames,” said The Daily Times. “Each crash resembling an explosion.”
Nearly 10,000 people gathered to watch. The paper said, “The sky was brightly illuminated for miles around.” When the outer walls collapsed, flames rose higher.
The loss was estimated at $350,000. Insurance covered $150,000. The company faced a $200,000 loss.
The company’s accounting books and files survived, along with some of the office furniture that was removed before the fire encompassed them.
Assistant Secretary Fred Ray said the company would rebuild, likely near the old plant, but he could not provide details.
(Pictures from The Daily Times. January 26, 1915)
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