View source for Latour Fuel Company



[[File:Latour%20Fuel%20Company%20calendar.jpg|left|]]</img>[[File:Latour%20Fuel%20Company%20calendar.jpg|left|thumb||Latour Fuel Company calendar ]]  The '''Latour Fuel Company''' was located at 135 - 139 [[Broadway|Broadway]].  It was an expansion of the [[James%20A.%20Latour%20%26%20Company|James A. Latour & Company]] company, that itself began as [[Latour%27s%20Livery|Latour's Livery]].  It was operated by [[Jimmy%20Latour|Jimmy Latour]]. 
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[[File:Latour%20Fuel%20Company%20destroyed.jpg|right|]]</img>[[File:Latour%20Fuel%20Company%20destroyed.jpg|right|thumb||LaTour Fuel Company offices destroyed by fire. ''[[Adirondack%20Daily%20Enterprise|Adirondack Daily Enterprise]]''|, August 25, 1987 ]] [[File:Latour%20Fuel%20Company%20destroyed2.jpg|right|]]</img>[[File:Latour%20Fuel%20Company%20destroyed2.jpg|right|thumb||Saranac Lake firemen battled the blaze from all sides, including from the roof, where fire licked at the building's very old and tinderbox-dry wooden siding. ''[[Adirondack%20Daily%20Enterprise|Adirondack Daily Enterprise]]''|, August 25, 1987 ]] ''[[Adirondack%20Daily%20Enterprise|Adirondack Daily Enterprise]]'', August 25, 1987 

'''Old LaTour Building destroyed''' 

'''Children said to set blaze''' 

By [[CHRIS%20MELE|CHRIS MELE]] 

SARANAC LAKE — Two local youths have been turned over to the Franklin County Probation Department after they allegedly started a fire Monday that completely destroyed an empty wooden structure behind the [[Saranac%20Lake%20Adult%20Center|Saranac Lake Adult Center]]. 

The youths, ages 6 and 10, allegedly started a small fire in the old LaTour Fuel Company offices behind 125 Broadway about 5:30 p.m. 

The fire got out of hand and by the time the youths, both boys, ran for help, the structure was completely involved in flames, village police report. 

Twenty-nine local firemen responded to the scene and battled for half an hour to control the blaze. Fighting the fire was made difficult by high winds which whipped the flames about the structure. 

At one time the fire threatened to spread to other, nearby structures.  However, firemen were able to contain the blaze to the unoccupied building. 

Thick black smoke shrouded the evening sky over downtown Saranac Lake as curious residents and onlookers flocked to the scene. Huge flames were already licking out the windows of the building when firemen arrived with four of their trucks. 

A live power line in a corner of the lot popped loudly like a firecracker, but did not hamper firefighting efforts. 

The building was the original office of the LaTour Fuel Company in the late 1920s, according, to property owner [[James%20LaTour|James LaTour]]. It has been vacant since the late 1950s and early 1960s, he said. 

LaTour, who surveyed the smouldering remains, complained that he had to frequently chase youths from the area. He claimed the property was not being patrolled adequately by village police, noting that he could not stand guard over his property 24 hours-a-day. 

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