Post Office Destroyed in $50,000 Fire

A spectacular blaze early Wednesday at Milford, Ky., a small community on Ky. 19, nine miles south of Brooksville, destroyed half of the town's business section, including the post office and the Masonic lodge and resulted in property loss of about $50,000.

K. W. Raymond, Brooksville fire chief, said two buildings were destroyed.  Pratt's Grocery was located on the first floor of one of the buildings and the Milford Masonic Lodge occupied the second floor.  The adjacent structure contained Martin's Service Station and a branch post office.

Chief Raymond said the service station was able to save a large quantity of its stock, but nothing could be salvaged from the grocery store. 

No cause for the blaze could be found, Raymond stated.  Flames broke out shortly after 6:30 p.m.  No one was in the building at the time.  The flames were detected by a neighbor on his way to work.  Chief Raymond said he believed the fire started in the building which housed the grocery.

Two other buildings, Bruin's Restaurant and LaMonda's Garage, which are located on the other side of Martin's service station, were not hit by the flames.

Fire departments from Brooksville, Augusta, Germantown, Falmouth, Williamstown, and Mt. Olivet fought the flames for almost two hours before bringing them under control.

Water was easily accessible as the Licking River flows through the middle of town.

from the Kentucky Times-Star, March 21, 1956