From a historical marker is downtown Williams:
Dime Store
In 1901, a great fire swept through Williams, burning 36 business buildings, 2 hotels and 10 homes in less than an hour. Major fires in 1903 and 1908 further dictated the need for fire-resistant stone, concrete, and brick buildings. Many of those, like this 1912 structure, survive to this day.
A newspaper article from that time reported:
The Williams Fire.
The business portion of Williams, Arizona, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning. The fire started from the explosion of a lamp which was left burning in Fleming’s store. The loss is estimated at $300,000. The town has no fire fighting water supply; hence there was very little insurance.
The principal losers are:
Geo. W. Martin, $7,000, W. M. Hayward, $12,000, J. C. Phelan, $2,000, Jos. Johnson, $3,000, E. M. Twitty, $2,000, Jas. Walsh, $1,000, Julius Wexler, $6,000, B. F. Sweetwood, $3,000, Harry Loeb, $2,500, Capt. P. Smith & Co., $1,000, H. F. Ashurst, $2,500, Tetzloff, $3,500. Geo. Matthewson, $3,000, C. F. Boyce, $2,000, Williams Drug Co., $10,000, L. Sebay, $3,000; Simpson’s Opera House, $8,000, Nalskolski, $7,000. A.B. Bruner & Son, $3,500, Button Furniture house, $5,000, J. P. Parker, owner of Hotel Tolfree, $35, Geo. U. Young, proprietor of Williams News, $12,000, Max Salzman, $100,000, Polson Bros., $50,000; M. L. Rainey, $25,000, T. A. Fleming, $5,000; W. A. Dodson, $6,000.
The Williams Hardware & Stationery Co. was the only store left in the town. A stiff wind blew in a direction favorable to the spread of the fire. Geo. U. Young, of the Williams News, had a new printing office plant on board the cars at Los Angeles within three hours after the fire.
Prescott Morning Courier, Prescott, AZ 3 Jul 1901