Town Hall, Bohn Restaurant, Pothier Pool Hall and Layne Cafe destroyed in Sunday morning blaze.
The fire was kept from spreading further by the Melville volunteer firemen helped by the Pingree firemen and the chemical truck from the Carrington fire department. The fire was the worst in Melville's history.
The fire broke out in the Otto Bohn house about 10:30 Sunday morning during the absence of the family in Devils Lake. The fire started on the second floor, presumably from a defective chimney or an overheated stove pipe. When the fire was first discovered smoke was pouring out of the second floor. Melville men broke their way into the building but found the fire had gained too much headway to control. Emergency alarms were sent into Carrington and Pingree, and the men went to work carrying out part of the family's belongings from the first floor and saving the neighboring buildings. The fire then spread to the other buildings.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 365