The Rebuilding of Hinckley
When the sun rose on September 2, 1894 it showed what Reverend Emil Anderson called, "The black desert of destroyed homes. Here lay scattered all about, the burnt corpses of my beloved friends."
The fire burned over 500 square miles of land and destroyed several towns besides Hinckley. The official death count was 418, but many historians believe the actual number was twice this.
The September 7th, 1894 Minneapolis Tribune stated, "Already the sound of hammer is heard and the city council will meet at an early date to encourage improvements." However, Hinckley would never be the same.
The fire burned most of the valuable timber that had not yet been cut down. Because of this, many logging operations moved from the area. The Brennan Lumber Mill, Hinckley's main employer, was never rebuilt.
The fire burned most of the valuable timber that had not yet been cut down. Because of this, many logging operations moved from the area. The Brennan Lumber Mill, Hinckley's main employer, was never rebuilt.
The people who returned began the changeover to a farming community. In the first issue of the Hinckley Enterprise printed after the fire, the editor wrote, "The fire on September 1st did in 15 minutes what it would have taken the husbandman 15 years to accomplish. All nature is with us; it seemingly knew our needs, and came to clear the land."