Plessis

COMMUNITIES IN THE TOWN OF ALEXANDRIA

PLESSIS FIRE IN 1892 IS RECALLED

The following story was forwarded to us by Shirley Farone, who has an interest in this family. If any viewers have more information, Shirley would very much like to know. Note: Eva (Mrs. Sidney Sweet) was adopted by R. and Eliza Swartwout and given their name. Eva was obviously an avid reader and historian. The following article, found in the April 5, 1947, edition of the Watertown Daily Times, indicates her acute interest in what was being written about events in her native Plessis.

Mrs. Sidney Sweet, Theresa, Lived in New House Which Was Burned, by Ernest G. Cook

Theresa, April 5. -- "I read with great interest the story of the J. S. Vanderburgh family going to Dakota, as it appeared in The Times on Wednesday afternoon, and noted that it referred to a fire in Plessis when a family was burned out and Elnathan Plato took his sewing machine to Plessis to put it at work making clothing for the family.

"The reason I read that story with so much interest was because I was a member of the family that was burned out, and I had a child, two, and a six months' old baby escaping from the fire but with no clothing to wear. No wonder I was interested.

"It was a nearly new house that my husband had completed just a short time before and whatever started the fire we did not know. But we all escaped and the future looked dark. We had insurance but just about enough to provide the unpaid debts we had incurred in building the house.

"But the women of Plessis came to our rescue. They went right to the store, purchased cloth, held sewing bees and made us garments and helped us in other ways. That was in February 1892.

"To give you a little idea of what I went through with [sic] let me say that in 1891 came the fire with a complete loss of possessions; in 1893 and in 1895 I was called to mourn the loss of my mother and two children.

"But we got through. We just started all over again and the Lord did some providing, I am sure. I knew the Vanderburgh family well and was much interested in the two stories printed."
If you have additional information, comments, or suggestions, please contact:
Nan Dixon

You are our [an error occurred while processing this directive] visitor since May 20, 2001--

Last Revision :Tuesday, 11-Sep-2018 00:49:41 MDT

Return to Town of Alexandria Index Page

Return to Community Index Page

This site is generously

Hosted by RootsWeb

Hosted by RootsWeb

This nonprofit research site is a USGenNet CertifiedSafe-Site� and affiliate of the American Local History Network, Inc. (ALHN). Web hosting is generously provided by Rootsweb. This site makes no claim to the copyrights of individual submitters, and is in full compliance with USGenNet's Conditions of Use.

[Jefferson County ALHN]

[NY ALHN]

� Nan Dixon, 2001