A fire that destroyed several blocks of Ocala’s downtown district in 1883, including newspaper files about a lot of Ocala and Marion County’s early history, was followed by a new era of brick buildings that formed “The Brick City.”
The “Great Fire” of Ocala took place on November 29, 1883. City records show that on that day, 2,000 individuals welcomed three special trains from the Florida Southern Rail Road to the Ocala area.
The fire broke out on top of Benjamin & Company, a two-story frame store located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Ocklawaha Avenue. Despite bucket brigade efforts beginning immediately, the fire spread quickly…