Hyde Park was facing what seemed like total devastation on this day in 1910. The flames kept raging, leaping from building to building in the gusty winds.

The first hints of smoke were seen drifting skyward from the jailhouse roof. By the time it was over, 20 downtown buildings were gone. Woodpiles and 20 tons of coal at the Court House burned for days.

Hyde Park’s status as the shire town of Lamoille County was in jeopardy. It had been a controversial decision, and some tried to use this disaster to challenge the location of the county seat. Hyde Park survived, rebuilt, and retained its shire town distinction.

Photo courtesy the Vermont Historical Society.