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An Unforgettable Fire at an Unforgettable Building
It was probably one of the most talked about spots in Galesburg, talked about quite a bit more five years ago yesterday and in the days and weeks after that.

It was the OT Johnson Building in Galesburg. It was destroyed by a fire that started in the early morning hours of January 23, 2006. The building collapsed due to the fire, sending bricks flying. Embers from the blaze flew, too, all over downtown. And it was the site of controversy for a long time after that, as the city figured out what to do.

But many remembered what it was, including local historian Tom Wilson, who told WGIL in 2006 the store ended up having many uses over the years.

"Of course it's been an antique shop and they only used the first floors, a lot of people will forget that social security and internal revenue were in that building for a number of years. A Percy Reynolds bought that building, he was married to the daughter of John Burns at Continential, nad worked right next door and he took a chance and bought the building so there has been a number of things in it."

Wilson describes the decor of the building in its heyday as a store as, quote, fantastic, and also had many memorable departments.

The cause of the massive and historic blaze was never determined. A body was pulled from the rubble weeks later identified as 23 year old Michael Olson. Olson was reported missing the day of the fire.
01 24 11 by Newsroom
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