Tuesday, Dec. 30th, 1975, 2:14am
Remembering with John Carson
Nearly 50 years ago, there was a major fire at the Chances R Nightclub, (Formerly Gaffer’s, before that the King’s Castle, and before that Galloway’s Bakery). The building was a total loss and was subsequently demolished. This building sat where the indent is, at what was the former Modern Home building ( now WIRC) . It was in the 100 block of West Jackson Street on the south side by the alley behind the west side of the square.
“My family has history with the building, as it housed The J.E. Carson & Sons Ford Dealership and Garage in the 1920s and 30s, which failed during the Great Depression. The building was also at one time, The Macomb Armory of the Illinois National Guard. Most of us 50s & 60s kids remember it as Galloway’s Bakery, which also had a fire in the 1960s. The building was damaged but not destroyed, and the interior was re-built and became the Kings Castle Nightclub.” John Carson recalls.
John shared some rarely seen photographs of the fire,, “ these photos were taken by my Father, J. Cuyler “Tink” Carson.
While I was on the Macomb Fire Department as an Auxiliary Firefighter, and did most of their photography, I was working my third overnight as a part-time McDonough County Sheriff’s Office Radio Operator /Jailer. I could not leave, as I was the only one on, so I set up my camera and flash for my Father to use.”
The next major fire in the Macomb Downtown area would be nearly 25 years later in 2000, the Chandler Block Fire.
