Note, this picture and text are from an acount of Dexter’s Biggest Fire - 1907.

"February 23, 1907. Dexter has a $70,000 fire. Fierce conflagration Friday night fought with difficulty. With the temperature at 15 degrees below zero and a stiff breeze blowing, the most destructive fire in the history of the town visited Dexter Friday night and was still burning at a late hour Saturday. Seven stores were damaged, two tenements gutted, and several offices damaged. As soon as the fire was discovered the occupants were aroused and all had narrow escapes, owing to the dense smoke and rapidly spreading flames. The wind blew a stiff breeze and things looked dark for the business section of town. The whole fire department, assisted by scores of citizens, soon had five streams of water playing on the building. The water kept up its force well and the pumps were kept working getting water from the reservoir. Had it not been for the new water system the whole business section would have been getting would have been totally destroyed. The firemen suffered intensely from the freezing water and the intense cold. They soon appeared like animated ice cakes but were often treated to hot coffee and sandwiches by the Exchange Hotel and the Dexter Club where a ball had been going on at the fire started. So far as can be determined, the fire was caused by a defective chimney in the building owned by Charles F. Witherell."