Manitowoc men survived tragic Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago

In 1910, Edward and his wife Harriett returned to Manitowoc and, together, they opened a saloon, café and restaurant at Washington and South Eighth streets in Manitowoc, which became known as the Colonial Inn.

The people and places of our local history have ties to large events that have taken place in our country. One example is the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago.

Manitowoc’s Fred and Edward Bahr, a father and son, were of the lucky one-third of the 1,700 theater patrons who survived the tragedy. A headline on Sept. 2, 1913, of the Manitowoc Daily Herald told of Fred’s death, his Civil War service, and the tragic Chicago fire he survived — “Frederick Bahr, Civil War Veteran and Survivor of the Iroquiois Theatre Fire dies at age of 71.”

Fred and Edward gathered at the newly constructed Iroquois Theater on Dec. 30, 1903, to see "Mr. Bluebeard," a musical comedy starring Chicago native Eddie Foy that was said to bring action, adventure and top stage performances.

It was around 3:15 p.m., as the show began its second act, when a spark from a stage light ignited nearby drapery. Attempts to put out the fire were not working, and the fire soon spread to other stage backdrops. The "fire-proof" theater was soon engulfed in flames.

As it was realized that the fire could not be stopped, audience members ran from their seats toward the exit doors. The few exit doors that were available were hidden by curtains. There were also locked metal gates to keep those in the upper floors from coming down to the more expensive seats. Exit doors were also locked to prevent those without paid tickets from attending the performance.

Actor Foy would later write about the tragedy in his memoirs, what he saw on the upper levels of the theater: “mad, animal-like stampede — their screams, groans and snarls, the scuffle of thousands of feet and bodies grinding against bodies merging into a crescendo half-wail, half-roar.”

Within a few moments, hundreds of people had died, even before firefighters arrived at the theater. While it is unclear how the Bahr family survived the fire or their story of returning home, we know they returned home soon after the event, as Mrs. Bahr’s mother passed away and the family was needed at home.

Fred and Rose Bahr, both German immigrants, made their home at 1205 S. 11th St. in Manitowoc. Fred was a skilled carpenter, even with an injury to his hand while serving in the Civil War with Company H, 21st Wisconsin.

Edward Bahr, who was 22 years old at the time of the fire, moved to Chicago soon after and began work as a bartender at the Palmer House Hotel. In 1910, Edward and his wife Harriett returned to Manitowoc and, together, they opened a saloon, café and restaurant at Washington and South Eighth streets in Manitowoc, which became known as the Colonial Inn. Edward was also employed at the Williams House and worked at the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company. Edward passed away in 1939.

Fred and Edwards’ story intersect with the deadliest theater fire in American history. The Iroquois Theater fire killed more than 600 people, but Manitowoc’s Bahr family survived to grow their lives in our community.