Abbie Simpson

This photo, identified on the back as being "Abbey Mabel Simpson", was done by Hayward Photography in Crown Point. An additional notation was written on the back of the photo: "Died in telephone office during fire of . . ." (the date was left blank). The Lowell Telephone office fire occurred in 1905. The 1905 Lowell Tribune account of the fire, however, listed the two sisters who died in the fire as Abbie Burnette Simpson and Edith Mabel Simpson.

Abbie B. Simpson and her sister Edith M. Simpson lost their lives during a fire in a telephone office above a downtown Lowell drug store (418 E. Commercial). The fire, which began about 2 a.m., Nov. 9, 1905, started in an apartment behind the telephone office where one of the sisters was a night operator, the other keeping her company. There was severe damage to the drugstore, the telephone exchange and the apartment.

This photo comes from the Halsted House Museum.