SERVPRO Provides Professional Fire Damage Restoration for Mount Vernon Residents

12/17/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage can catch you when you least expect it. Contact our experienced team to remediate right after the fire fighters leave.

When Fire Strikes Our Technicians Are on the Scene Implementing Emergency Mitigation in Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, WA, is a beautiful town and the county seat of Skagit County. It is well-known for its Tulip Festival Street Fair. The New Rating Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities voted it #1 in 1998 as the “Best Small City in America.” It is a delightful place to live and visit.

The Beginning of a Town

In 1870, on the banks of the Skagit River, Joseph Dwelley and Jasper Gates decided to begin a new life. It was the first settlement in the area and would be the start of Mount Vernon. E.G. English and Harrison Clotheir came to the settlement in 1877. Clotheir arrived mainly to teach school but also went into business with English. The two men became pioneer businessmen and founders of the city. Clotheir was also appointed the local postmaster in 1877. The two men designed the plan for the city and they named it after George Washington’s plantation and resting place, Mount Vernon.

Logging & Mining Develops the Area

The first industry in Mount Vernon was logging. The area was heavily timbered, and camps were set up to clear the town of the trees. Because of the logging camps, the city grew rapidly. Saloons, hotels, and the English & Clotheirs’ store were constructed. Everything was moving along when a massive log jam stopped large ships from coming portside. To deliver mail, the mail carriers were stuck paddling canoes down-stream to the neighboring Skagit City. Other things that impacted the area included:

•   Ruby Creek Mining Activity – spurs growth in 1880, brought a new hotel to the town, but the mines were shallow.
•   Other Logging Operations – These were established but not profitable
•   Low Population – By 1881, the population was 75.

Steady Growth Begins

Although 1881 saw only 75 permanent residents through the rest of the 1880s, growth was steady. This decade would see the following:

•   The Odd Fellows Lodge, 1882
•   The Skagit News, the 1st newspaper, 1884
•   Baptist church, 1884

Mount Vernon’s future looked bright when it was chosen for the Skagit County seat, which had been La Conner.

The Railroad Comes to Town

One of the primary reasons Mount Vernon was able to expand and develop was its location. It was close to the eastern and central parts of the county, and hence their farming, mining, and logging communities. The city also had access to Puget Sound. In 1889 an appointed committee began negotiating with the railroads. In 1891 the Great Northern Railway lines were completed. They tried to get a second railroad to lay track, but that never came to fruition. With the railroad came hundreds of new businesses, and with that, folks began to move into the area rapidly.

Fire & Riverfront Eroding Causes Problems

While many cities boomed in the 1890’s Mount Vernon never experienced that because they had a stable economy. This was in great part due to the railroad. On July 5, 1893, the city was incorporated. In 1891, the first of several fires destroyed waterfront property. That year would see Front Street and part of Main Street destroyed by waterfront erosion. Thankfully, the buildings were quickly replaced due to money from the railroad’s construction. Other important events that took place were:

•   Brick schoolhouse built in 1891
•   Mount Vernon Opera House
•   Construction of other civic buildings
•   Slow growth after Panic of 1893
•   Large flood in 1894
•   First dike built following the flood

Fire Strikes Again & Again

In 1900 another serious fire struck Mount Vernon. This fire wiped out all of the original structures, including Ruby Hotel and English and Clotheirs’ Store. More downtown businesses would be destroyed in 1903 by another blaze. A water system was finally put in place in 1902.

The Historic Lincoln Theatre

If you head over to First Street, you can see the Historic Lincoln Theatre. It was built in 1926 and was a silent movie and vaudeville house. It would remain a movie theater through the 1980s. Today locals can see concerts, live theater performances, and movies throughout the year. It has an original Wurlitzer theatre organ. Only 97 other theaters across the United States still possess one of these organs. They were played to open a show.

Mount Vernon Fire Department

Early fires caused a lot of damage and loss to the city. Today the Mount Vernon Fire Department proudly protects the citizens of the city with three fire stations. Each station is manned around the clock and has both EMTs and paramedics on all shifts. They are available with:

•   2 Fire Engines
•   A Ladder Truck
•   A Battalion Chief

Their mission is to “protect the lives, property, and environment of Mount Vernon and to minimize losses when emergencies occur.” They strive to make a difference in their community.

SERVPRO Provides Fire Damage Restoration in Mount Vernon

Once the MVFD does its part in putting out the fire, the cleanup is left. That is where SERVPRO comes into the picture. When the go-ahead is given to enter the premises, our technicians get busy. We enact emergency mitigation, such as boarding up and dealing with safety issues. We then proceed with putting your home back to normal. It includes:

•   Removal and disposal of charred debris and unsalvageable content
•   Water extraction using truck-mounted or portable pumps
•   Drying the premises with industrial-strength air movers and dehumidifiers
•   Cleaning the home with various methods, which can include soda blasting and wire brushing
•   Pack out of content to our warehouse for cleaning if needed
•   Controlled demolition to help with drying and restoration as needed
•   Repair and restoration of structural elements

It is our mission to restore your home as quickly as possible. You are dealing with enough problems if you have experienced a fire. We take as much of the stress of cleaning up off your shoulders as we can. Let our experienced technicians mitigate your fire damage. Restoration is our specialty. Contact SERVPRO of Skagit County at (360) 873-8744.