World's Largest Stove Goes Up In Flames

DETROIT (WWJ) - History is lost after a reported fire damages the World's Largest Stove.  It happened last night when the 15-ton stove, known as the "Garland", caught fire at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

Detroit Historical Museum Spokesman Bob Sadler says they kept the stove for a few decades, before returning it to the Fairgrounds in the late 90s.

He says this is a sad day for history because the stove meant so much to Detroit.

"The stove is symbolic of a bygone industrial era in Detroit, and basically prior to Detroit becoming the motor city, in the latter part of the 19th century, Detroit was the capital of the stove industry. There were three major industries in Detroit ... and those were ship-building, the manufacturing of railroad cars, and the manufacturing of stoves," said Sadler.

Sadler says stoves were one three major industries in Detroit in the 19th century -- including ship building and the building of rail road cars.  Meantime, the investigation into the stove fire continues.