In cooperation with the Garland County Historical Society, the City of Hot Springs is now airing a slideshow depicting the aftermath of the historic downtown fire of 1913 on its government access channel, city12, on Resort Television Cable.
The slideshow, which contains more than 50 well-preserved photographs from the fire and its aftermath, was created by the Historical Society to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1913 conflagration. The anniversary was observed earlier this year with a plaque dedication at the site where the fire began, at Church and Cottage streets.
“Hot Springs residents will be fascinated by this pictorial account of an event that changed Hot Springs forever,” said Hot Springs Fire Chief Ed Davis. “The city that emerged from the fire was very different than it had previously been. Brick clad structures became more common, critical infrastructure was moved to better locations and the fire department was reborn. Motorized fire apparatus were purchased, more firefighters were hired and the trusted fire horses were removed from service.”
The 9-minute program will air daily on city12 at 2:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. until Sunday, December 8. For information, call the Hot Springs Public Information Department, 321-6806.