Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameWilliam Henry Leonard Jr. 
Birth2 Jan 1906, Forsyth County, NC
Death13 Jul 1976, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
BurialRowan Memorial Park, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
Spouses
Birth2 Oct 1908, Rowan County, NC
Death29 Jun 1998, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
BurialRowan Memorial Park, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
FatherDuke M. Morgan (1876-1959)
MotherMattie Lou Bringle (1877-1928)
ChildrenWilliam Henry “Bill” (1926-2009)
Alfred Cross “Buddy” (1929-2012)
Notes for William Henry Leonard Jr.
Salisbury Post
December 30, 2005
By Chris Verner
Salisbury had seen some dramatic fires before, but nothing like the conflagration that erupted in the 100 block of South Main Street early on April 27, 1964, destroying three businesses and threatening to char the heart of downtown before a platoon of firefighters subdued the blaze after a nightlong battle.
"I've never been to hell and that's as close as I want to come," Salisbury firefighter Bill Trexler said in a story published the afternoon after the fire, when hotspots in the ruins continued to smolder. "It was the only time in my life I ever felt like screaming."
Two city cops, Buddy Evans and Tommy Waller, were on separate patrols early that Monday when they noticed smoke and flames in the rear of Underwood's ladies ready-to-wear about 1:40 a.m. In those turn-of-the-century, tender-box buildings, ready-to-wear also proved ready-to-burn. While Evans was calling headquarters, "the whole building went poof," he said.
When the first firemen arrived only a minute or so later, Underwood's was blazing. The fire quickly spread to the adjacent building, McLellan's variety store, and then leapt on to the W.H. Leonard jewelry store. Within hours, all three buildings were reduced to rubble, and two other businesses on the west side of Main, the Oestreicher-Winner department store and Phil's Family Shoe store, sustained fire and water damage, as did a warehouse area behind them.
Although the buildings were separated by firewalls, that didn't slow the blaze. This is how the Post's George Raynor described it in a front-page story:
"About 25 minutes after the firemen began their battle, heat built up in McLellan's to the point where an explosion occurred. The blast threw plate glass all the way across the street. Immediately the fire in McLellan's balled up as air rushed in.
"It seemed only a matter of minutes before both buildings became like a foretaste of hell. The buildings seemed to offer no resistance whatsoever to the hungry flames which ate through the second floors and raced to the roofs."
Five separate fire departments were on the scene, with 100-125 firefighters manning ground hoses and aiming nozzles from aerial ladders. Several other local departments provided backup assistance. The Yadkin River also did its part, supplying an estimated 4,000,000 gallons of water thrown onto the flames.
The fire caused $987,000 in damages -- the equivalent of about $6 million today. It also tested the fire resistance of the concrete-clad vault, where W.H. Leonard stored its most valuable diamonds and watches. The vault was found intact in the debris, but its steel doors had been fused shut by the fire's heat and had to be cut apart. Inside, the diamonds, watches and other items had survived. Because of possible damage from heat and water infiltration, however, they were written off and surrendered to the insurance company.
Given the chaos of the fire, it seems at least a minor miracle that no one suffered serious injury. There were some close calls, however, as firefighters had to dodge collapsing walls and exploding windows. Trexler and three other firefighters were atop Underwood's when an explosion literally raised the roof. They escaped by leaping over the parapets to the top of another building, where they were finally rescued by an aerial ladder.
Because the fire began in the middle of the night, it initially attracted few spectators. By daybreak, however, the crowds had grown substantially, and police had to cordon off the fire-damaged area, keeping spectators on the east side of Main. The National Guard was called in to help with crowd control and to deter looting.
Among the spectators, the Post reported, was photographer Hope Powell, who had a shop on Innes Street, just around the corner from the burning buildings.
When it appeared the fire might spread to other nearby structures, she was among the business people frantically trying to decide what preparations they should make, should the flames advance.
"What'll I take? What'll I take first?" Powell said. "I'm getting my sewing machine out of here anyway because if everything burns, at least I won't have to go naked."
December 30, 2005
By Chris Verner
Salisbury had seen some dramatic fires before, but nothing like the conflagration that erupted in the 100 block of South Main Street early on April 27, 1964, destroying three businesses and threatening to char the heart of downtown before a platoon of firefighters subdued the blaze after a nightlong battle.
"I've never been to hell and that's as close as I want to come," Salisbury firefighter Bill Trexler said in a story published the afternoon after the fire, when hotspots in the ruins continued to smolder. "It was the only time in my life I ever felt like screaming."
Two city cops, Buddy Evans and Tommy Waller, were on separate patrols early that Monday when they noticed smoke and flames in the rear of Underwood's ladies ready-to-wear about 1:40 a.m. In those turn-of-the-century, tender-box buildings, ready-to-wear also proved ready-to-burn. While Evans was calling headquarters, "the whole building went poof," he said.
When the first firemen arrived only a minute or so later, Underwood's was blazing. The fire quickly spread to the adjacent building, McLellan's variety store, and then leapt on to the W.H. Leonard jewelry store. Within hours, all three buildings were reduced to rubble, and two other businesses on the west side of Main, the Oestreicher-Winner department store and Phil's Family Shoe store, sustained fire and water damage, as did a warehouse area behind them.
Although the buildings were separated by firewalls, that didn't slow the blaze. This is how the Post's George Raynor described it in a front-page story:
"About 25 minutes after the firemen began their battle, heat built up in McLellan's to the point where an explosion occurred. The blast threw plate glass all the way across the street. Immediately the fire in McLellan's balled up as air rushed in.
"It seemed only a matter of minutes before both buildings became like a foretaste of hell. The buildings seemed to offer no resistance whatsoever to the hungry flames which ate through the second floors and raced to the roofs."
Five separate fire departments were on the scene, with 100-125 firefighters manning ground hoses and aiming nozzles from aerial ladders. Several other local departments provided backup assistance. The Yadkin River also did its part, supplying an estimated 4,000,000 gallons of water thrown onto the flames.
The fire caused $987,000 in damages -- the equivalent of about $6 million today. It also tested the fire resistance of the concrete-clad vault, where W.H. Leonard stored its most valuable diamonds and watches. The vault was found intact in the debris, but its steel doors had been fused shut by the fire's heat and had to be cut apart. Inside, the diamonds, watches and other items had survived. Because of possible damage from heat and water infiltration, however, they were written off and surrendered to the insurance company.
Given the chaos of the fire, it seems at least a minor miracle that no one suffered serious injury. There were some close calls, however, as firefighters had to dodge collapsing walls and exploding windows. Trexler and three other firefighters were atop Underwood's when an explosion literally raised the roof. They escaped by leaping over the parapets to the top of another building, where they were finally rescued by an aerial ladder.
Because the fire began in the middle of the night, it initially attracted few spectators. By daybreak, however, the crowds had grown substantially, and police had to cordon off the fire-damaged area, keeping spectators on the east side of Main. The National Guard was called in to help with crowd control and to deter looting.
Among the spectators, the Post reported, was photographer Hope Powell, who had a shop on Innes Street, just around the corner from the burning buildings.
When it appeared the fire might spread to other nearby structures, she was among the business people frantically trying to decide what preparations they should make, should the flames advance.
"What'll I take? What'll I take first?" Powell said. "I'm getting my sewing machine out of here anyway because if everything burns, at least I won't have to go naked."