Searching for History ~ The Boyertown Opera House Fire

[@Dori0725]

Just watched your video. I live in Boyertown and I have to tell you that you were so close to the unidentified stone. When you drove up the drive it was on your left side half way the the hill. The school that was used was the Washington school which was torn down and replaced by the Boyertown Post Office. I do want to thank you for showcasing out small town. So many people don’t know about this tragedy and it’s importance.

[@samanthab1923]

I live in Bucks Co. but like watching WFMZ out of Easton/Bethlehem. They do a Berks edition at 10:30 pm & I think on the anniversary told the story of the Boyertown Opera house fire. Then did a doc on it. I forget what's there now bout they say the area is haunted. 👻

[@Idol76]

I thought that it was torn down and replaced with which is now the police station?...I guess I could be wrong...a lot of people don't even know that Rhoads old house is now Zimmer's pets...and that a young firefighter got killed pulling a cart to get to the fire in front of the house...I think it was from getting pinned between the cart and a bigger tree at the time that was in front of it....talk about irony.lol

[@johnnyringo3171]

There are a lot of interesting stories associated with this event. Charles Spatz who was the editor of Boyertown's newspaper was there and escaped but was badly injured. His 16 year old son Carl Spatz took over for him, and later became commander of the Strategic Air Forces in Europe in 1944 during WWII.

[@MrDan708]

Some years ago, Allentown's WFMZ-TV produced a doc about this.

[@samanthab1923]

These type of fires are so tragic. Makes me think of the Triangle Shirt Factory fire in NYC.

[@HikerDudeDad]

This is my wife's hometown, so I've been schooled on the Opera House Fire. She said she's been to Durango's, and we pregamed her last BASH reunion at Other Farm. Nice work!!!

[@lindamccaughey6669]

Oh that was lovely, such a pretty cemetery. What a sad story and such a horrible way to die, very thankful for all these codes. Thanks so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care

[@tomtransport]

Thanks Cliff, did hear/know about this tragedy, good history, nice tour. At 0:11 we can see the cooling towers of Limerick PGS off in the distance. For folks visiting Boyertown they may want to check out the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles too.

[@deansimons3194]

My granddaughter at 5 years old lived on Washington said at night a little boy would visit her who died in the fire.

[@AdamFlint-1]

The morge school (Lincoln School) was located on Washington St. It was torn down in the 1970’s and the police station and post office are there now. The grave marker for the unknown is on the left halfway up the hill.

[@ednagreen62]

Thank you for today's segment. "The world is more than we know."

[@SueGirling68]

Hi Cliff, like you said, it is a tragedy and the amount of lives lost could have been lessened with all of the codes we have now being used back then. The codes are there for a reason and not just to be annoying, they really do save lives. R.I.P to all of the victims. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx 💞

[@scarletbegonia74]

At the beginning of this video you're literally standing feet away from my great great grandparents, my great-grandmother, and my great aunt who passed in infancy. None of which were involved with the Opera fire by the way. Nice video.

[@kateclark7250]

This was an amazing piece of history. I appreciate your research and filming of this story.

[@annetteackley9048]

Grew up in Boyertown. I think there was a story just recently written about the Opera House. You should go to the Historical Society in Boyertown. Boyertown has lots of History. Been watching you for a while. Loved the video of you going to your camp up near Wellsboro. I moved to Coudersport 42 years ago. Another interesting place you should check out is the Kinzua Dam and the Rail Road bridge that got blown down, they are in McKean County.

[@user-David-Alan]

Wow, never new about that fire. Thanks for sharing. Be safe.

[@kimmyles444]

Thanks for video on Boyerstown as I am a direct descendant of the founding father of the town. I have never been there but plan on visiting one day. Also, I have relatives that were in the flood in Johnstown which was just tragic. My family owned a brewery in town that I believe was named Goeners Brewery which I believe closed in the early 1960s. I think the brewery was sold to Pepsi as I remember being told.

[@bekleidungu.ausrustung7068]

Nice. maybe that old school was refurbished the following year with that new date shown. It seems to be correctly located. People could research it to find out.

[@Idol76]

Nah,It was relocated,actually when he started walking toward the opera house on Washington st. the old location of the school was like at the most around 150-200 yards right behind him...i believe the location is now the Boyertown police station....but I see some say the post office,either way they are both kind of right next to each other not too far away right straight down the road from the opera house....wish he knew more,a young firefighter was pulling a cart trying to get to the fire when he got crushed between the cart and a big tree right in front of a house that is now "Zimmers pet shop" pretty close to the opera house too...former house of dr.Thomas Rhoads...the owner of the building of the opera house...it delayed help for the fire...some things are just ironic I guess.

[@darkowloffroad]

I work with fire alarm and life safety systems, so this video was especially interesting. Thanks man. It's about darn time you started more spooky stuff, so thanks for that as well. Take care

[@samanthab1923]

Do you know I was thinking the same thing 👻 one of his Witch vids from a year ago popped up 🎃

[@jeffreyferretti8222]

Great video, especially with fire safety month, next month. In the fire service we say those NFPA fire safety and building codes were written in the blood of those that died in those major fires.

[@samanthab1923]

I passed an old house yesterday that had the fireman holding a child sticker on a window. Hadn't seen that since I was a kid in the 70's. Tells the firemen which are the children's rooms.

[@jared1870]

These videos are coming so fast I cannot keep up.

[@marianacamplese9519]

Thank You for your interest in history and our great state. So many wonderful places to see. I’m enjoying your videos and trips you take. And! With each trip there’s interesting stories and a history lesson. 😊

[@LumberjackPa]

Chiming in my hometown as well.

[@aprilrichards762]

I went to the Johnstown Flood Museum. It was very solemn but the jar of flood water was gross! On the 3rd floor, there is a cinema that shows a great documentary on the flood.

[@samanthab1923]

I wonder if it's that doc done by Guggenheim & narrated by David McCallough. Saw it on PBS really got me interested.

[@aprilrichards762]

@@samanthab1923 I think. It's on KZbin. David McCallough wrote a great book on the flood. The walls of museum have images of the debris over it, at first you can't make out much but slowly you start to see victims. One thing about the museum, it's really haunted. I didn't know that until while watching the documentary someone kicked me twice in the lower back hard enough to leave visible damage on MRIs. Oh and my parents were the only other people in the cinema at the time. On the way out, I asked the volunteer if the place was haunted. She said yes then asked me what happened to me. I'm never going back.

[@samanthab1923]

April Richards Yes! He said it's never been out of print.

[@aprilrichards762]

@@samanthab1923 for good reason, it's a bloody good book. I'm still grossed out by the jar of water from that flood. It's a thick brackish-brown sludge now!

[@daniellebenfield95]

I used to live in the apartment building that is there now.

[@Rems90]

That used to be a school yes. They use it as some sort of office now for different things that I know of.. idk if it's a morgue or anything.

[@Idol76]

Nah,they never used Lincoln school as a morgue,they used which was the former Washington school right down the side of the former opera house on Washington St.,which is the site of where boyertown borough hall is now as one of the morgues.

[@theodorerooseveltcharlesto1555]

My nephews has a Karate school in Boyertown. Ellixsons Tae Kwon do

[@heden1460]

Such a sad story.

[@R32R38]

Too rule of fire safety in a crowded public building: if possible, try to exit *other* than through the door where you entered.

[@stevemahoney6493]

Most of the codes are there for a good reason but not all. There are codes insisting construction materials be anti-flammable. These were put in place 70-80 years ago inder pressure from the powerful tobacco lobby. The short story is that so many fires were caused by careless smoking it became a matter of public concern. The tobacco industry was unable to develop a self-extinguishing cigarette so turned it around and blamed wood for burning. Legislation was widely passed to add fire retardants to building materials. The resulting toxic smoke produced by these have been poisoning fire fighters ever since. Not all codes are good ones.

[@ItsTheCostanza]

Boyeryown not far Reading PA

[@PatriseHenkel]

Funny you’d mention the undead::: Grandview was used to film the original Romero’s Dawn of the Dead

[@jayforkner2692]

A lot of filming for that movie was in Evans City Cemetery.

[@chipsmith1867]

Was the 13th on s Friday????

[@bucktaylor6522]

I was born on January 13th scary

[@AlysonMcNulty]

This is the 2nd story I have seen on this. If what was learned from this was actually learned the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire would not have happened.

[@Tattooboimilito]

Helo, go ask the the caretaker where the grave is, u were in the general area, u were walking away from the site

[@Tattooboimilito]

It is the school

[@rollinrocks4561]

Daywalkers and Zombies deserve a monument!!!!!

[@hiworldstephensonultranate290]

surely just ask someone I wud hv called in anywhere!

[@mikechristasmysteries7383]

Johnstown that id

[@mikechristasmysteries7383]

Hit us up be glad to show u around

[@fredericklininger9143]

I sent you a email. Please read.