Two Disasters in 1918

The new town continued to grow through the rest of the 1910’s, but soon faced two major disasters in 1918.  The first disaster took the form of a fire which destroyed two blocks in downtown Sulphur.  Many businesses were lost, including the Paragon Drug Store, owned by D.S. Perkins.  The town council at the time decreed that both sides of Huntington Street would be required to rebuild with brick.

In the midst of the reconstruction, a ninety mile per hour cyclone damaged many buildings in the town and the Sulphur Mines.  Major damage included the destruction of the Methodist and Baptist churches, the middle building of the Frasch School complex, and over $3 million in damage to the Sulphur Mines.

The rebuilding process began almost immediately, and thanks to the generosity of city and business leaders, the churches and school were restored.  By 1920, an elementary school had been created at the Sulphur Mines for the Mexican children living with their families at the Mines.  The Mexican school remained in operation until 1927.

Sulphur Somewhat Protected Against the Effects of the Great Depression

As the rest of the country suffered through the Great Depression of the 1920’s and 1930’s, Sulphur’s economic woes were somewhat cushioned by the success of the oil and sulfur industries northwest of the town, the construction of the Olin Mathieson Chemical Plant, and the influence of businessman W.T. Burton.

Mr. Burton’s takeover and liquidation of the local bank resulted in depositors receiving seventy-five cents on the dollar for their losses, while other banks could only return ten cents per dollar.  Thanks to Mr. Burton, depositors received nearly all of their deposits back over time.

New Organizations and Developments in the 1930’s

The 1930’s include several milestones in the city’s history.  First, in 1930, the Sulphur Daily News, which would become Sulphur’s local newspaper, was established in Vinton by H.P. Hebert and William Navarre, under the name of the “Southwest Builder.” The paper moved to Sulphur in 1933,  and was sold several times in its history, but ended up in the hands of Erbon Wise in 1951.

Other notable groups that were founded in the 1930’s include the American Legion Post 179 and the Sulphur Rotary Club.

Additionally, Sulphur High School Football had its first game on October 4^th, 1930, against LaGrange High School.  Though their first game was a 19-0 loss, football remains a popular sport in the city today.

The 1940’s and 1950’s marked a period of major growth in Sulphur, with the relocation of several large industrial developments on the outskirts of town.  Cities Service, Conoco, Mathieson (later Olin Mathieson), and Firestone all find their beginnings around the time of World War II, and all contributed greatly to the community’s growth.  With the influx of new industrial workers, the construction of Maplewood was much needed.