The 1927 Illinois Theatre Fire
An early morning fire on Sunday, 3 April 1927 destroyed the Illinois Theatre, and transformed it into a burned-out shell.
Clarke H. Schooley began his story on the fire in the Champaign News-Gazette of Sunday, April 3, 1927, with this sentence: “After having colored skies for miles with a dull red glow, the old Illinois Theatre of Urbana, 312 West Railroad Street, was a mass of twisted ruins this morning.” 1
His story recounted how University of Illinois student Russell Williams smelled smoke while returning to his rooms at 1102 West Stoughton Street at 2:15 o'clock and immediately notified Urbana Night Police Captain Owen Wind, who sent Letty Childer to the fire station and returned to the theatre site. Clifford Lakey and Harry Smith, living in north east Urbana, also noticed smoke pouring from the theatre building at about the same time and notified the fire department. 2
The Urbana, Champaign, and University fire departments arrived quickly at roughly the same time as the smoldering wood burst into flame and quickly enveloped the building. Quoting Schooley: “Finding efforts to save the building futile, firemen turned their nozzles upon the neighboring buildings, and attempted to save them. The fire was brought under control about 4 o'clock.
The building, a three-story affair with the out-walls of brick, the interior of wood, reared itself as a veritable landmark. It proved "ripe" material for the flames, and within a couple hours the interior of the building was only a mass of twisted timbers which quickly fell. Live embers shot their ways high into the heavens.
Shortly thereafter the upper walls began caving. Part of the west wall fell onto the rear porch of the home tenanted by Mrs. Anna Kaiser.
Mrs. Kaiser, after considerable urging left her home - but not until she had recovered a large box. She bore this in her arms, claiming it held numerous valuables.” 3
Schooley reported that the power company had arrived on scene and cut the power, light, and street car lines. He also reported that gas pipes in the basement had exploded during the fire but that was later doubted although no other causes of loud noises were determined. 5
He also reported that the last gathering in the theatre was a play produced by the Columbia Parent-Teacher association on Friday evening. 6
Reynolds had held regular "office-hours" Saturday morning with about 40 callers then had closed at noon. He was certain no one had stayed in the building. He said only three men had keys and one was out of town. That man was William Ball, the building watchman, who had also left at noon Saturday to visit Indianapolis, leaving it unguarded that night. 7
Schooley explained that Reynolds was inclined to believe the incendiarism as he had been receiving threatening anonymous letters and telephone calls for four years. He wouldn’t disclose their nature of them, except to say “they were most threatening." Just Friday evening, he had a phone call from “a man who ‘cussed’ him and ‘called him names’ - and then hung up.” 8
The Zenith Amusement Company had purchased the theatre building four years earlier for $35,000, when they determined they needed larger quarters, and has been using it “for plays and ritualizing work.” Reynolds said that about three months earlier, they cut down the insurance on the building by about half to $17,000. “The Klan stood to lose about $13,000, in addition to very valuable paraphernalia,” said Reynolds. 9
An Illinois Water Service Company box ad in The Champaign News-Gazette of April 10, 1927, opened with this statement: “After all big fires the question, "Was the water pressure good?" and "How much water do you suppose was used?" are always asked.” 10
It went on to quote Chief Martin of the Urbana Fire Department who said: "We had good pressure, maintaining 80 pounds pressure at the hydrant with the pumper delivering three streams of water. We had all the water we wanted. We can ask no more." 11
It continued to state that “Champaign had three leads from their pumper, and with one lead direct from the hydrant at Birch and Elm streets, totaled 7 streams playing on the fire.” And “Our master meter reveals the fact that 297,020 more gallons were pumped during the duration of the fire than is normally pumped at this time of the day.” 12