Editing Canastota, New York (section)

=== The Terrible Fire of 1873 ===
On Sunday, October 26, 1873, a fire started in a hay barn located to the east of the village. Some sixty tons of hay and the barn it was stored in burned completely.

Just after 1:30am the following morning, another fire was discovered in a small barn on Spencer Street which soon spread to the Eagle Hotel and other surrounding dwellings and businesses. Urged forward by fierce winds, the fire soon raged through several blocks, leaving smoldering ruins in its wake. In total, over thirty buildings were completely destroyed.

No deaths were reported in the next day's edition of the ''Canastota Herald'', though many were reported to have sustained serious burns to their faces and hands as they worked tirelessly to retrieve personal items and other goods from the burning buildings. Many of the early records of the village were lost in this fire.

The ''Herald'' later reported that in a letter to the Relief Committee, [[Gerrit Smith]] wrote, "Let not Canastota despair. She has still more left than she has lost. She has the sympathies and prayers of her fellowman left; above all, the loving God is left to her." Mr. Smith enclosed his letter with a check for $1,000.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 27, 1873 |title=The Terrible Fire |work=The Canastota Herald}}</ref>