Lockport memorializes 1895 fire with Gaylord Building chalk mural

“A Town in Flames.”

“Laid Bare by Fire.”

“Lockport in Ashes.”

These headlines graced the pages of newspapers around the country in 1895 after a fire in downtown Lockport leveled multiple blocks, leaving many homeless but none dead. Today, recreations of these shocking headlines are affixed to a wall of red and orange chalk flames in Lockport’s Gaylord Building, 200 W. 8th St., as part of a gallery commemorating the historic tragedy.

The recently renamed Founders Gallery on the second floor of the Gaylord Building has become a temporary, immersive tribute to the 1895 fire thanks to the work of local artist Kevin Traynor. All around the room chalk drawings depict smoke, flames, recreated photographs from the time of the fire, which were provided by firefighters and local historians.

“Clint (Cargile, manger of public programs at the Gaylord Building) managed to convince the board to let the guy who does the chalk art under the 9th Street bridge to draw on the walls,” Traynor laughingly told the Herald-News. “It was a very organic and collaborative process once we got started. I asked what they wanted, and they said they knew they wanted a fire wall that people would see as they came up the stairs.”

As guests enter the exhibit, titled “Rise from Ruins,” they are greeted by a back wall of the room entirely engulfed in flames. Even the back door appears to be part of the exhibit with billowing black smoke curling around the edges of the door frame into the room.

People who view the works could not believe the effect is achieved entirely with chalk, Traynor said.

“Everyone keeps asking what it is, if it’s really chalk,” he said. “A lot of people have poked at it to see if that’s what it actually is so there’s a few fingerprints, but we’ve been lucky no one has messed with it too much.”

In addition to the swirling flames, which were enhanced on the opening day of the gallery on Aug. 8 by a soundtrack of crackling fire sounds and scent beads to mimic the smell of smoke, the walls around the room are adorned with images of Lockport firefighters through the years.

The images also show pumps that were rushed down the railroad from Chicago to help battle the blaze, displaced residents, a horse-drawn fire wagon, and former Lockport Mayor Leon McDonald—whose downtown newspaper office was the starting point of the fire.

“We had a rough outline of what we wanted, but we left it up to Kevin to pick which pictures he wanted to recreate,” said Cargile. “We didn’t know how it was going to turn out when we started, but we decided however it turns out is how it was meant to be.”

Cargile said before the three-week process of chalking the walls began, he marked spots where he wanted to put informational plaques and additional printed photos for Traynor to work around. But the artist did not print anything until after the art was completed to make sure the pieces all complimented one another.

Positive response

“People have really liked it,” said Cargile. “We tied the opening to the ‘Think and Drink’ lecture from the Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society, and it was one of our best attendances ever. We had a few firefighters come through that first weekend too, and they really appreciated it.”

The gallery was used as the official launch for the city’s recent Fire Fest, something the city hopes will become an annual tradition commemorating the anniversary of the fire on Aug. 10.

“This was the first official Fire Fest, but as they were planning it, the city discovered the fire department used to hold a parade every year for the anniversary,” said Cargile. “They held the first one on the fifth anniversary in 1900 and it lasted into the 60s, but nobody knew about the old one until they started planning this event.”

Cargile noted that 1895 fire is considered the origin of the modern Lockport Township Fire Protection District, which up until then had been an entirely volunteer force.

“They had all their hoses and equipment to hook up to the fire hydrants in one building,” said Cargile. “That building was next to the newspaper office and caught fire. They managed to get the hoses out, but the pump system failed almost immediately. Had firefighters from Chicago not shown up so quickly with pumps that could pull water right from the canal it would have been much worse. But they learned from the tragedy and built up the fire department after that.”

Several of the photos recreated by Traynor for the murals were contributed by the LTFPD and by retired firefighter John Matthews, the department’s unofficial historian.

“He really reshaped the one wall with his contributions,” Traynor said.

Another factor that impacted the design of the gallery’s west wall was an injury sustained by Traynor during the creation period.

“I was at a family barbecue in July and I tripped and hurt my right wrist,” he explained. “I still had the one side of the wall to do. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I discovered I can draw with my left hand too, which I had never done before!”

Familiar works

While using his non-dominant hand to create his art was a new experience for Traynor, drawing for Lockport community activities is not.

Residents are likely familiar with Traynor’s work, even if they don’t know his name. Last year, the full-time artist drew 21 snowmen on the windows of downtown Lockport’s buildings, he has drawn at “chalk night” at Cruisin’ Lockport, and he regularly creates murals under the 9th Street bridge for community events including Comicopolis and Hell’s Gate Haunted House.

Depending on the venue and the weather Traynor’s art can last for weeks or mere hours, something he admits can be frustrating, but which he also thinks teaches a valuable lesson.

“It is all temporary,” he said. “It’s a metaphor for life. Life doesn’t last long. You have to find and enjoy the beauty while it lasts.”

The “Rise from Ruins” exhibit is intended to last a few more weeks until Sept. 25, at which point the gallery walls will be scrubbed and repainted to make way for a new exhibit.

While Cargile said he likes the idea of an exhibit which is designed to be temporary, he and Traynor said they are already talking about potentially doing another project together in the future.

If you go

What: “Rise from Ruins” murals exhibit

Where: The Founders Gallery, Gaylord Building, 200 W. 8th St., Lockport

When: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Through Sept. 25.

Free admission