The J.W. Opfer and Sons department store after a fire destroyed the building, January 13, 1919
January 13, 1919
/ Downtown Lorain

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Lorain firefighters survey the wreckage of the J.W. Opfer and Sons department store after a fire destroyed the building on January 13, 1919.
The fire, which caused over $100,000 in damage, killed a woman and her infant child who lived in the apartments above the store. The fire was likely caused by a bonfire in the alley behind the store.
The photographer is unknown.
~ Doane Collection of the Lorain Public Library System, “The J.W. Opfer and Sons department store after a fire destroyed the building, January 13, 1919,” Lorain County Memory, accessed October 27, 2025, https://loraincountymemory.org/items/show/2256.
