Shelby County, Alabama Community News Stories BAD FIRE AT WILTON. FIVE BUSINESS HOUSES AND TWO DWELLINGS DESTROYED. Origin is Veiled in Mystery, But is Believed To Be Incendiary - Small Insurance on the Loan. Selma, Ala, Sept. 28--Five business houses and two dwellings were destroyed by fire this morning about 2:30 o'clock at Wilton, forty miles north of Selma, on the Southern Railway. The fire originated from some unknown cause in the store of I. A. Rice, and spread rapidly to the adjoining places of business and the two residences. The loss was this morning estimated at about $6,400, on which is only $1,300 insurance, this amount being upon the store and the stock of goods in which the fire originated. Wilton is the junction point on the Southern Railway north of Selma, where the lines of that road branch off to Birmingham and Rome. It is a thriving little town, but the fire practically destroyed it. About 2:30 o'clock this morning some railroad men working in the yards at Wilton discovered that the general merchandise store of I. A. Rice was on fire. The alarm was given and the inhabitants, gathered to fight the flames, which spread very rapidly and soon consumed the five business places and two residences before they died out. The loss on the store and stock of goods of I. A. Rice, which were destroyed, is estimated at $2,000. On this stock there was $1,300 insurance. The loss on the store and stock of goods of H. Jackson, in which building was located the postoffice, is estimated at $800 and on which there was no insurance either on the goods or the postoffice. The loss of the store and stock of goods and residence of E. A. Ambrose is estimated at about $700, on which there was no insurance. The store and stock of goods and residence of G. A. Nabors is estimated to amount to about $800, on which there was no insurance. A store and restaurant building belonging to R. C. Camp also was destroyed and the loss to this is estimated at about $1,000 and on which there was no insurance. The origin of the fire appears to be a mystery, although some of the residents of Wilton are of the opinion it was of incendiary origin.  Source: Montgomery Herald, September 29, 1910, Transcribed by C. Anthony WRECK AT WILTON. Special to The Advertiser. SELMA, ALA, Feb. 28--A head on collision between two freight engines in the yards of the Southern Railway at Wilton early this morning delayed traffic on the Mobile division of the system for several hours. No one was hurt. Source: Montgomery Advertiser, March 1, 1913, Transcribed by C. Anthony TOWN OF WILTON IS INCORPORATED Notice was filed Wednesday with Secretary of State John Purifoy that the town of Wilton, Shelby county, had been incorporated at a vote cast by the citizens of the place. Source: Montgomery Advertiser, June 13, 1918, Transcribed by C. Anthony  HOME ©2009 Genealogy Trails