The great Downey Fire of 1922

This story is reproduced from the Downey Historical Society newsletter of April 1982: 

Still echoing in the memories of Downey residents of April 21, 1922 are events of that day which shook the small town to its core, imprinting it forever on their minds and, in many cases, their bodies. 

“The Fire” to those citizens means only one fire: the Newbold & Speaker gasoline station, formerly located at Downey Avenue and New Street, now the site of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Nine Downey people died, over 20 received horribly disfiguring burns, and many more were injured when a gasoline tanker caught fire, engulfed the station and then exploded. 

Downey went into mourning for weeks as a result of this disaster, then vowed never again to endure such a catastrophe. By the end of the next year, the Downey Fire Protection District had been formed, including a new engine and professional firefighters to guide the previously all-volunteer unit. 

This dramatic event in our community’s history received wide newspaper coverage in the surrounding areas, including the Los Angeles, Compton and Norwalk papers which the center has on microfilm. Until November 1981, no Downey paper had been found to chronicle the fire and its aftermath. Thanks to John Dennis and Hearst Community Newspapers, who donated a bound file of 1922 Downey Champion newspapers to the historical society (among a total of 14,000 pages of news), we have now firsthand accounts from the people it affected so deeply. These newspapers are now being prepared for microfilming and subsequent public use. 

Downey’s First Libraries

Continuation of the newsletter had a story on the history of Downey’s library -- did you know that Downey once had two libraries? In observance of National Library Week, we present this brief history of Downey's library service: 

A reading room was opened about 1874 by Downey women who would later form a chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. (No known records exist but perhaps the reading material had a strong anti-liquor slant.) 

In 1901, through the efforts of Josie McKellar, the Saturday Afternoon Club opened a library toward fulfillment of a goal “to promote the social, moral and intellectual interests” of the town of Downey. 

The small rental fee charged for books was used to purchase more books, thereby building up a good-sized collection. 

Downey Library, as a branch of the County Fee Library system, was established in September 1914 and was first located in the Woman’s Clubhouse at Firestone and New -- which was the site of Security Pacific Bank. The club’s library books were turned over to the county and the first librarian was Mrs. Antionette Houghton, acting as a volunteer the first year and serving for 14 years. 

The library moved in 1923 to the Masonic building at Downey and 3rd, and in 1926 further north on Downey Avenue. 

Downey’s second library, Old River Community Library, was established in August 1916 in the Old River Schoolhouse. Its first librarian was Winnie Mansfield.

Bobbi Bruce is a docent with the Downey Historical Society.