STORE IS DESTROYED BY BLAZE

PATTON - A 120-year-old building that long occupied by a landmark grocery store was destroyed in an early morning fire Thursday.

The building, located next to the Post Office on Highway 51, had been occupied for the past few years by Jones' Market. During most of the previous half century, it had been known as Whitener's Store.

The frame building had almost burned to the ground by the time firefighters arrived shortly after the 4:10 a.m. alarm.

The Patton Fire Department responded first and called in the Bollinger County Civil Defense Fire Department. Altogether, about 20 fire fighters were involved.

They controlled the blaze within two hours. Some remained at the scene throughout the afternoon to help an investigator from the state Fire Marshall's office try to determine the origin of the fire.

James D. Bollinger, coordinator of the Civil Defense Fire Department, said the investigator was called in because the fire was in a commercial building.

No other buildings were damaged and no one was injured in the fire.