HomeMy WebLinkAboutOct14SLOWhatJust what was the collective fear of the emerging San Luis Obispo community?
What were the nagging threats in most adult minds when they looked, as a
town, into the future? What did the folks fear most?
In a word, FIRE!
...not running out of money as the governing bodies refused to create debt unless payment
was guaranteed. If funds were low, it was not uncommon to delay payment until there were
sufficient funds in the “treasury.”
Nor did crime cause many sleepless nights. The major infraction was public (and undoubtedly
a great deal of private) drunkenness. The Marshal had little help and the drunk was often
escorted home by a friend or the Marshal. There was a jail, but having prisoners cost money to
feed and sometimes clothe. “Ironing prisoners”, getting custom-made leg irons by a blacksmith
was not free. Sometimes the San Luis Creek, the main sewer, needed cleaning so the marshal
ensured an extra batch of inmates was available to work and earn their keep. The other “public
safety issue”, the police, will be discussed in future installments.
No, the dread of fire took top billing in the collective terror of the Town. When the community bell
clanged or yells of panic were heard, everyone knew disaster was a real possibility. Structures
constructed primarily of wood with open fire for heating and cooking, a breeze blowing some
embers or an accident with a kerosene lamp spelled disaster. Much of the town burned in a
disturbing ritual that both fascinated the public and brought fear to survivors’ hearts. Today
or tonight was a neighbor’s turn, but tomorrow could be me! Fire respected no one and if
unchecked, consumed most everything with an abandon of horrifying proportions. The “fiend”
(sometimes with human help) burned everything; homes, stores, hotels, stables, fields, rarely
people, even the firehouse bell tower.
In some misguided historical vignettes, there are reports of a great fire that destroyed the
Mission around 1776. However, that fire was not in this church but in crude structure of poles,
brush, and mud with dry tule roofs; easy pickings for a flaming arrow or two. The worst fire in
the current structure was in 1920, but that will be another story.
Building along the Creek (Monterey and Higuera Streets) provided easy access for refuge
and sewage but also water for the bucket brigades hastily assembled to dowse a blaze, too
often without success. Failure to have a ready water supply doomed structures. Escaping
with one’s life and possibly a few pieces of furniture and memories was a positive result. Fire
was accustomed to winning.
So, a strong community need must be addressed by a strong community response. Right? Not
quite. The idea of organizing a municipal response was slow to materialize, but it did happen.
Do you have a question about the pioneers or historical San Luis Obispo?
Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com
History of San Luis Obispo By: Joseph A. Carotenuti
City Historian/Archivist, Volunteer