On October 16th “pistol shots and the cry of fire brought the citizens from their supper tables . . . the old tinder box [the main Tarleton building] was on fire. By the time hose companies got their connections made . . . the building was so enveloped in flames that no power could have saved it. With the exception of the library, some furniture, and a quantity of text books, the main building was a total loss.”

Erath Appeal