Virtual ‘Bangor Fire Of 1911’Anniversary Event Today

Put down the video game controller today and learn some Maine history!

Usually when people talk about historical events that happened here in Bangor, the first topic is always the 1937, bloody Downtown Bangor shootout on Central Street. Al Brady and his gang were on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and hiding out here in the Queen City. Town residents became suspicious when they purchased semi-automatic pistols and Tommy guns, and the rest as they say, was history, but there is another seminal event that changed Bangor forever, and it will be remembered today, almost exactly 110 years later.

On April 30, 1911, a fire started in a hay shed and quickly spread to the surrounding downtown buildings and blazed on for a full two days. Bangor ended up losing its High School, Post Office & Custom House, Public Library, Norumbega Hall, telephone and telegraph companies, banks, two fire stations, nearly a hundred businesses, six churches, and synagogue and 285 private residences. 55 acres in all, with a then whopping $3.2 million dollars in damages!

To commemorate the anniversary of this incredible incident, the Bangor Historical Society will be holding an online event, today from 4pm–5pm. Take a glimpse into an event that drastically changed how we see Bangor today.

This will be a Zoom/Facebook Live presentation looking at pre, during, and post images of the fire and walking through what happened that fateful day on April 30th, 1911.

For a Zoom invitation, email curator@bangorhistoricalsociety.org The presentation will also be streamed via Facebook Live.