About 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon an alarm of fire was sent in from the lumber mill of H.R. Morse, a huge structure covering two acres of ground and surrounded by saw dust heaps and piles of refuse lumber. the wind was blowing a fierce gala and the fire soon spread to the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad engine house, which was rapidly consumed. Morse's mill and boarding house went next, and the fire spread on towards to bay.

The Fire Department was helpless, and there was nothing to do but wait until the fire had exhausted itself. Gilchrist's Lumber Dock, with 3,000,000 feet of sawn lumber on it, was soon in flames, and the scene as the big logs fell into the bay and drifted out towards the open lake, all the floating timber being ablaze, was a sight long to be remembered. the burning timber set fire to the Government Light House at the mouth of the river, and it was soon a total loss. while the fire was slowly sweeping down through half a mile of town the people were moving out household goods and carrying valuables back of the town.

It was not until midnight that the fire was under control. Over 200 buildings were burned and 1300 persons are homeless. Nine tenths of these are working men, and most of them have no insurance. The loss on these buildings will excel $200,000. Three million feet of lumber belonging to F.W. Gilchrist, Folkerts, McPhee & Co. of Alpena, and Burrows and Burt of Saginaw, valued at $75,000. was also lost. Mrs. Ann McLean, of Buffalo, was burned to death. Mrs. Pulvin, aged 63, is so badly burned that she is not expected to live. Miss Nester and Mrs. Shaeboneau were also seriously burned and may die.

Contributed by Barbara Ziegenmeyer - Philadelphia Inquirer 13 July 1888 - Alpena Michigan July 12, 1888