Voices from the Past

January 3, 1947

Broadus Landmark Was Destroyed By Fire

Fire completely destroyed the Star Theater in Broadus Saturday night. Efforts of the Broadus Volunteer Fire Department to stem the blaze were to no avail as the whole building was afire at the time that the alarm was sounded. Nothing was saved from the theater or the apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Schaffer, owners, adjoining the theater property.

It is believed that an overheated stove was the cause of the fire. Saturday night was the coldest night in months and it is thought that the effort to get the theater warm was too much for the insulation around the stoves and that the blaze started when the insulation failed.

The fire was discovered at about 6:15 Saturday evening, about an hour before the doors of the theater were to open for the show. Mr. Schaffer had fixed the stoves in the theater about an hour previous and he and Mrs. Schaffer were in their apartment when they heard the crackling of the fire. Mr. Schaffer opened the door into the theater and the rush of smoke and fire drove him back and he was unable to close the door. He carried Mrs. Schaffer from the apartment just as it was enveloped in flames.

Neal McCurdy and Charlie Stabio were having their evening meal in the Broadus Café when they saw the fire burst from the building. Charlie rang the fire bell and Neal drove the fire truck to the burning building. There was an immediate response to the alarm and within three minutes of the time the alarm was sounded the firemen had two streams of water playing on the burning building. Both of the chemical tanks were used up trying to knock down the fire in the apartment to the point where the salvage crew could take over.

The flames had too great of a start and the efforts of the firemen could not halt the blaze. The temperature at the time was 22 degrees below zero and the firemen had difficulty in keeping their lines from freezing. Within an hour from the time that the fire started the walls and roof of the building had fallen in. There was no wind and the blaze was easily confined to the theater building.

Mr. and Mrs. Schaffer escaped from their apartment with only the clothes on their backs. They had only recently installed new kitchen equipment and new furniture in their living rooms. Clothing belonging to their children, who are living on the Schaffer ranch, was also destroyed in addition to about $400 in silver and currency.

The Star theater building was one of the landmarks of Broadus. It was built in 1919, the year that the town started, by Shorty Turley. The back end of the building was Shorty’s Garage and the front part of the building designed for car storage was turned into Shorty’s Hall before it was completed. Here were held the dances for this community for many years. Mrs. Turley disposed of the property about twenty years ago and it was purchased by Aaron Macy, present county treasurer. From then on until last summer the building was known as Macy’s Hall. Mr. Macy installed moving picture machines in the building a number of years ago and about five years ago redesigned the building as a theater.

The theater and building were sold last summer to Mr. Schaffer for $6,500. There was some insurance on the building but the insurance coverage was only one-third of the damage, Mr. Schaffer said. It is understood that he is planning a new building which will be built during the coming spring and summer months.

During the early years of the town, this structure was the meeting place for all public gatherings. Court was held in the hall. Dances and plays were staged here. Farmers and ranchers held their meetings in the building. While the building was always known to be highly combustible and the firemen knew someday it would burn down, the people of Broadus community were shocked and dismayed at its destruction.

Fire Chief Joe Dent complimented the members of the fire department for their quick response to the alarm and to the fine manner in which they were able to get the equipment into action within such a short time.