by Justin Brown, FF/EMT-P
4/22/2010

Firefighters succeeded in containing what could have been one of the major fires of the year early Sunday morning when the automatic alarm was sounded from the vacant Goodwill Shoe Company on Water Street.

The long four-story building was the scene of a blaze inside the structure, which firefighters managed to contain to one small area after about a half hour’s work.  Had the blaze erupted in the strong wind, some eight homes on Winthrop Street, which joins the rear of the property, would have been seriously threatened.

Arial view of the old shoe factory

Firefighters responded less than an hour later to a fire at a home on Pine Oak Street off North Mill Street, but the fire had been controlled by the owner and required the assistance of only one truck.

Could have been one of the major fires of the year?  Apparently, there were some good fires back then if this would have only been one of the major fires in a year.  Not to mention, we haven't had two fires in a single night in quite some time.  It's amazing what fire prevention can do in fifty years.

 The old Goodwill Shoe Factory today is the home to artistic studios

Goodwill Shoe Company was also known as the Williams Shoe Company and the Safety First Shoe Company.