A.. The Hildebrand Fire

Part II. September 1, 1990 Interview

[Interview conducted September 1, 1990 by Bob Zybach.]

A. The Hildebrand Fire

Bob Zybach: We're at the [Homer H.J Hildebrand place, this second recording session with Neil Vanderburg, and today is September 1, 1990. And Neil, you want to tell me again how you found out about the fire here?

Neil Vanderburg: Well, I used to ride the school bus up here that came to pick up Bill Hildebrand, and one night when we brought him home we left him off here and the next morning we came to pick him up and all there was was some smoke coming out from little coals of the house that they lived in. And we later heard that Bill and his dad were the only ones that survived. Until I talked to Bob, I didn't know anything more about what happened to the Hildebrands or anything, so I wondered for this last 50 years or so what happened to them. So it was quite interesting to get back here and find out a little bit more about them.

Bob Zybach: When you say when you talked to Bob, you mean me?

Neil Vanderburg: Yeah.

Bob Zybach: Oh, okay. Now you said when you picked up Gene Glender after leaving this spot was the first you found out exactly what happened.

Neil Vanderburg: Yeah, that's when we found out that the two had survived.

Bob Zybach: Did they have a basement here?

Neil Vanderburg: No, I don't think so.

Bob Zybach: So when it burned it was just down to bare ground.

Neil Vanderburg: It was just down to bare ground and some of the bigger timbers were still smoking but the main house was completely demolished. Nothing there but ashes.

Bob Zybach: Can you remember where the house was located?

Neil Vanderburg: Not in this mess, it doesn't look the same as it did 50 years ago.

Bob Zybach: There's an old road down the east side over there. Do you recall where that might have gone?

Neil Vanderburg: Haven't any idea.

Bob Zybach: Okay. The picture we looked at from 1936 showed a big barn down there where some pear trees are now.

Neil Vanderburg: Yeah, that barn was there.

Bob Zybach: Do you remember any old houses or anything down in there?

Neil Vanderburg: No, I don't. I'm not sure, I had the impression that they weren't really farming here. Maybe had a few animals but that's about it. I don't know how they earned their living or what. But that would have been in about 1937 when that burned down, according to my calculations.

Bob Zybach: Now, you said the school bus at that time couldn't come over the Tampico Road, they had to go all the way around?

Neil Vanderburg: No, at this time we were coming over the hill there.