Barn Struck By Lightning

On August 20, 1937 at about 3:15 p.m. lightning struck a barn owned by Norman Booz, 2-1/2 miles east of the Ridge Church in Hopewell Township. The barn filled to the roof with crops, burned quickly. The flames spread so quickly that no machinery could be removed. The blaze spread to a wagon shed and hog pen before being contained. A damages estimate was not available. The Vigilant Hose Company answered the alarm. This was the second barn for the Vigilant’s within minutes that burned after being struck by lightning. The other was posted last year and occurred near Pleasant Hall, the company’s Reo responded to that fire and the Seagrave responded to the Hopewell township incident.