Antlers Hotel Fire of 1929

  A three-story brick hotel building was constructed
at this site in 1920 by the firm of Bachman and
Goodwin. Originally known as the Argonne, the name
was later changed to the Antlers Hotel when the
structure was purchased by H. G. Karrenbrock.
   In the early morning hours of December 12, 1929, a
fire broke out in the building. Firemen of the central
station were the first to arrive on the scene and
were promptly aided by additional units throughout
the city and quickly attracted a large crowd.
   Thirty minutes after the first fire alarm, the west
wall of the structure began to crumble. Although
some of the fire fighters escaped, assistant city
fire chief Smiley Turner and Fireman Guno Anderson
were killed by the collapsing wall. One occupant
of the hotel, Kenneth (Toby) Brice of Bowie, also died
in the fire that morning.
   As a result of the destructive Antlers Hotel fire,
significant changes were made in the Wichita Falls
fire department. Equipment was updated, new training programs were established, and city officials began strengthening ordinances in an effort to actively enforce municipal fire code. (1981)

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     The marker is located inside the main door of the Wichita Falls Public Library, (formerly the Wichita Falls Activities Center) Tenth and Indiana streets. GPS Coordinates: 33-degrees 54' 34"  N 98-degrees 29' 18" W

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