Hinckley Pit Survivors Fire Memorial

rocbolt
recent  |  interesting  |  random  |  favorites  |  contacts  |  sets  |  tags:  
Hinckley Pit Survivors Fire Memorial
Hinckley Pit Survivors Fire Memorial

Hinckley, Minnesota

The Historic Pit
During the Great Hinckley Fire on September 1, 1894, this site, then known as the Gravel Pit, proved to be a God-send to those people who were not able to escape the Fire by train. It was It was on this railroad track that two trains, one passenger and one freight, coupled together to take over 400 people from the burning town and deliver them safely to Duluth. This pit, considered an eyesore to the people of Hinckley in 1894 was dug by the Eastern Minnesota Railroad to be used in making the roadbed for the train track. But, it was where about 100 people, along with many domestic and wild animals, found shelter from the Fire.

The pit at that time was a three acre excavation, about thirty feet deep, with a spring that kept water in the depression. Because 1894 was a very dry year, there was only about three feet of water in the depression. Everyone who took shelter from the Fire here, however, was saved, except for one man who was overcome from heat and smoke. He fainted and was stepped on by a cow and died. The frightened people stayed in the water for about three hours and when they crawled out to see what was left of the town they were horrified to see the total devastation. Where once stood a busy and prosperous town was now just a pile of smoking ashes. The only buildings remaining were the Round House and the Water Tank on the south end of town where the railroad tracks intersect.

Here the fire victims found shelter where they stayed until they could be rescued by train. Over the years, the pit has been filled in. At one time it was common to see boaters in the pit and also a foot bridge was built to connect one side of the pit to the other. Years later, the pit was developed for use by the Boy Scouts. Steps, a large council ring and small fire rings were constructed. In 1968, the Great Northern Railroad donated the pit area to the city of Hinckley. At that time a skating area and warming house was completed as well as a picnic shelter. In 1976, a hockey rink was built and a Youth Hockey program started.

Attribution Noncommercial Some rights reserved
Taken on: December 20, 2023
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with Hinckley Hinckley Everybody's photos tagged with Hinckley Minnesota Hinckley Minnesota Everybody's photos tagged with Minnesota Minnesota more » Everybody's photos tagged with Hinckley Fire Hinckley Fire Everybody's photos tagged with The Great Hinckley Fire The Great Hinckley Fire Everybody's photos tagged with Fire Memorial Fire Memorial « less
Sets appears in:   • Hinckley Fire Museum   
Camera: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, f/1.8, 1/15 sec, 8.8mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
Aperture: f/1.8
Exposure Time: 0.067 sec (1/15)
Focal Length: 8.8mm
ISO: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Center-weighted average
White Balance: Manual
Color Space: sRGB
Show full info
Stats: 283 views