Pickerington Historical Society
P.A. Myers Hardware, AKA Valley House, employees Stemen and Huntwork in photo
In 1927, a building called the Valley House sat at the northwest corner of Columbus Street and Center Street. It housed P.A. Myers Hardware on its first floor with the telephone company and living spaces above.
For a telephone operator in 1927 Pickerington, most days were probably fairly routine. On October 28, Hazel Ruble’s day was anything but.
The fire begins
Pickerington Historical Society
Adriance Farm Machinery, AKA Valley House, AKA Breekbill Stage Coach Inn
Around 3:30 p.m., a fire broke out, which, according to The Lancaster Daily Eagle, was believed to have started from the sparks of a bonfire. The fire first caught at a large warehouse owned by resident John Harner, and from there, it spread toward the public square.
From the warehouse, the fire jumped to an L-shaped frame building that housed six families, along with Harner’s hardware store and a barber shop operated by Ed Jonas. Volunteers moved quickly to help the residents, and the six families living there escaped with only a few belongings.
As the fire spread, business owners and residents began to panic, moving valuables into cars in case an evacuation was necessary. The fire threatened to consume much of the town, which at the time held about 500 people, but a lack of wind helped prevent the flames from spreading even farther.
Ruble at the switchboard
Pickerington Historical Society
Hazel Ruble in the news
With no established local fire department, volunteers sprang to action. However, they needed extra help. Ruble was at work when the fire began, and as the fire spread, she began calling surrounding communities for help.
Ruble made calls out to Baltimore, Reynoldsburg and Columbus, but as she made calls, the fire crept toward her building. As people evacuated the building and tried to save equipment, Ruble stuck to her post, even as many of Pickerington’s local telephone lines were being destroyed.
Ruble’s calls brought help from neighboring communities. The Reynoldsburg fire department arrived on the scene first, followed by Baltimore’s department.
Firefighters and hundreds of volunteers worked together with limited resources to fight the fire. They used the town pump, a cistern and water from the Sycamore Creek to smother the fire, and later on, the Columbus fire department sent a truck equipped with a powerful water pump.
The fire burned for about four hours before it was finally brought under control, causing roughly $50,000 in damages. Three people were injured and six families were left without a home. Five buildings were destroyed, and the telephone system was badly damaged.
The corner today
Pickerington Historical Society
Late 1800s - Valley House Hotel in Pickerington
Today, the former Valley House site is an open green space with a white gazebo in the heart of Olde Pickerington Village. Historic buildings, including the former Patrick & Exline Grocery and Pickerington’s first firehouse, remain nearby.
Although the fire was devastating for the town, Ruble’s calls and the relentless efforts of firefighters and volunteers prevented a much worse outcome. The fire also marked a turning point for the town’s approach to fire protection. Pickerington’s fire department was formally established in 1934, and four years later, its first firehouse was built on North Center Street.
Megan Brokamp is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mbrokamp@cityscenemediagroup.com.
