Annals of the Beaver River

Gladys was on her way home from her usual afternoon walk when she heard people yelling. The voices were coming from the old hotel. When she turned to look, she saw a few men hauling furniture out onto the lawn and shouting for more help. Next, she saw the black smoke pouring out of the top story. Her first instinct was to rush over to help. Then, she remembered her camera. The date was May 18, 1914, almost exactly 111 years ago. Gladys Kempton was just fifteen years old. She grew up in Beaver River Station. Her father was the section foreman for the railroad. Gladys lived year-round in the section house with her parents ever since she had graduated from school in June 1912. To make some spending money in March 1913 Gladys began to sell souvenir photo postcards to tourists at the railroad station. She sold a large number of such cards, sixty-eight on one day in April 1913.   The cards she sold usually featured beautiful views of the area, some probably taken by local photographers s...