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GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS  |  2020 – 2021 91 newspapers reported that the Springfield crew and their horses were speeding towards Yellow Springs at a mile per minute. The Springfield crew made it in record time, but the fire was much faster. According to newspa- per reports at the time, the origin of the fire was unknown. Theories were put forth that there may have been an explosion in the furnace of the grain eleva- tor or perhaps someone dropped a lit cigar in the building. Regardless of the origin, the fire left behind a great deal of destruction on Dayton and Corry streets. The fire spread quickly due to a combination of windy conditions and the large number of frame buildings in the vicinity. At one point, a total of nine buildings were simultane- ously engulfed in flames. Among the buildings that were destroyed were the grain elevator, a livery stable, a buggy company, the Methodist Church, a saloon and several homes. Damages from the fire were estimated to be about $18,000, the equivalent of a half-million dollars today. The damages would have been much worse, but according to the Yellow Springs Torch, “The contents of all of the buildings were mostly saved by the hard work of our citizens.” A group of Antioch College students did their part to fight the fire by form - ing a bucket brigade, passing over 130 buckets of water. While the fire of May 5, 1895, was not the only large fire that Yellow Springs has experienced, it did change the layout of the village. Prior to the fire, Dayton Street was the center of the Yellow Springs business district. Afterwards, in an effort to resume business as quickly as possible, many businesses began spring- ing up on Xenia Avenue on what was once primarily a residential street. Today both Dayton Street and Xenia Avenue are home to businesses and, unlike 120 years ago, the village has the Miami Township Fire Department on call. The building located at 116 Dayton St. (AC Service) is the only original structure on the street that was not destroyed in the 1895 fire. YS Train Depot Now Chamber of Commerce The arrival of the Little Miami railroad in 1846 provided economic growth and prosperity to Yellow Springs. The railroad brought visitors to the resorts and goods to the local businesses. Yellow Springs Station is a replica of the 1880s train depot reconstructed in 2001, a few hundred feet north of the original location (the original was on the other side of the tracks, just behind what is today Bentino’s Pizza). To recon- struct the station, builders used pieces salvaged from the original building by local railroading enthusiasts as well as its original building plans. Today it serves as the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce, an infor- mation center and public restrooms. Yellow Springs House Now Bryan Community Center The property where the Bryan Community Center is now located was once home to the Yellow Springs House. In the mid-1800s, Elisha Mills (the father of William Mills, who is known as the father of Yellow Springs) built a large brick home on this location. Later, Mills added onto his home began advertising it as a hotel. An article in a local 1850s newspaper bragged about all of the amenities at the Yellow Springs House: “With cottages, billiard room, ten pin alley, boat, swing, barn, ice house ... including 8 acres of beauti - ful lawn, shade with fruit trees ... it had the capacity to accommodate 250–300 guests comfortably.” In the early 1900s, the resort became the Method- ist Home for the Aged. In 1902, a fire broke out and destroyed the historic build- ing, and the home moved to Cincinnati. John Bryan High School was built on the property in 1928 and closed in 1963. Today the building is home of the Village offices and police station. PHOTO: YELLOW SPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Yellow Springs’ former train station was located near the Bentino’s/Subway building. A replica was built in 2001 using its original building plans and some original trim pieces. PHOTO: ANTIOCHIANA, ANTIOCH COLLEGE Elisha Mills built the Yellow Springs House in the mid-1800s and began advertising it as a hotel soon after. It is now the site of the John Bryan Community Center.