100 years ago: Church fire takes Idaho town by surprise

The choir was rehearsing in the First Methodist Church of Kendrick, Idaho (east of Moscow) when the members realized something was wrong.

The church was burning down.

The fire was in the roof, so the choir was able to scramble to safety, but it continued to rage and the church was completely destroyed.

Electrical wires apparently started the fire between the ceiling and the roof. The fire was so intense that homes in the rest of the town were in danger, but the volunteer fire department was able to keep the fire from spreading. A heavy rain helped.

Only a small part of the church’s furniture was saved.

From the war beat: Private Frank W. Dullanty of Spokane was severely wounded in action while he was driving captured Germans to a shelter.

He was a former student at North Central High School and a former window trimmer at the Crescent.