The Federal Transient Bureau Fire of 1934

On March 24th 1934, twenty-two men died due to a fire at the Federal Transient Bureau building in downtown Lynchburg. The Federal Transient Bureau opened its doors to the poor and homeless on December 18th, 1933 in a two story building on the corner of Twelfth and Church Streets. Its purpose was to feed and house occupants during the Great Depression and on the morning of the fire, one- hundred and ninety men were using the facility.

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Lynchburg’s First Playground, Part I

In a year filled with momentous events, 1914 witnessed World War I’s beginning, Babe Ruth’s first major league baseball game, the establishment of the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Reserve System, the first transcontinental telephone line in the United States, and the debut of red and green traffic lights. In the midst of these changes, Lynchburg jumped in on a new idea that was only beginning to gain traction in America: public recreation. With the launch of the Association of Playgrounds 

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