Reed Hotel Fire, 1979
The Reed Hotel was on the second and third floors of the Gomer A. Nicholas building (204 25th Street) which was built in 1908. Frances Nicholas took over the building in 1934 and operated a grocery store on the first floor. In 1979 the hotel catered mostly to transients, renting out their 24 rooms for only $50-$60 a month in rent. Individual rooms were not heated; there were only gas heaters in the hallways, so many tenants left their doors open in winter months to let heat in. The building also had no smoke or fire detectors nor sprinklers.
In the early morning hours of December 7, 1979, Robert Lee Leatherman tried to heat his room by burning newspapers. The fire got out of control and quickly spread throughout the building. Hotel manager Robert Smauldors smelled smoke and ran through the hallways trying to wake up tenants while his friend called the fire department. He was able to help three people escape the building through a window.
When firefighters arrived, flames were engulfing the building. They put the blaze out in 15 minutes, but rescue efforts took another hour. Tenants escaped in their pajamas or coats; some wrapped themselves in bed sheets to protect themselves. The injured laid on the sidewalks waiting for medical attention. Those with more serious injuries were taken into nearby businesses such as the Kokomo for help. Survivors were taken to the Ben Lomond Hotel for shelter.
Four people were killed that night, including Joe Marcellino Samora, Ralph McNamara, Harold Wilford, and Bessie Bateman. Sixteen other tenants were injured and treated at local hospitals. Over the next few weeks, four more people died from their injuries: Jody Gallegos, McClain Craige, Williams Blevens, and Jack Evans. The fire chief called it the largest loss of life in a fire in Ogden’s history.
Leatherman was charged with manslaughter and aggravated arson. At a hearing a few months later he was found incompetent to stand trial due to a brain injury.
