Beating down a blaze without so much as a hydrant, running water, phones or even an engine to taxi trained firefighters to the emergency site would be unheard of in most Virginia locales today.
But in Amherst in the early 20th century, that’s precisely the predicament faced by the foothills hamlet, where residents drew most of their water from wells and springs, while the thought of a conflagration engulfing the town had simply not been a priority.