This is the second post in a three-part series commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the day the Kopper Kettle blew up (and celebrating the scores of injuries and deaths that miraculously did not occur — remember the song ‘The Kettle’s Gone’? What about the t-shirts? Click here. Oh, and now we have video.).
On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, several businesses on East Magnolia Ave in downtown Auburn were destroyed in an explosion caused by a natural gas leak beneath the restaurant. More than 70 businesses in the immediate vicinity were damaged . Downtown looked like a war zone. The event made national news. It was a big deal.
If you’re scrolling finger is limber enough, here are 78 photos – most of which have never been seen until now – taken in the immediate aftermath of the blast by former Opelika-Auburn News photographer Brad Ashmore. Can you help us put names to faces? Rubble to places? Do you have any stories from that day?
We’d love to hear them.
(And if you’d like to help us keep the obsession with Auburn lore unhealthy and the lights on through the winter, click here.)
I went and viewed the carnage that Sunday Morning. Dang I don’t remember it looking that devastated…. WOW!
Notice the new Lincoln Continental still with dealer tag on it.
This was only a rumor by the time I got there (’79), but I think I bought that smashed up AMC Matador. Either that or one that was equally trashed.
Just amazing that no one was killed. Amazing.
I was in my second story apartment at the corner of Ross and Glenn (several blocks away) when this happened. It felt like a car had crashed into the building under my bedroom window. I got out of bed to look out the window to see. It is amazing that no one was killed.
In the seventies after graduation and being away for several years my husband wrote a series of essays about being a student at Auburn. One of which is about the Kopper Kettle. Would you be interested in looking at it?
In the picture where the painting is on wall of the tiger, that was my dental office. The tiger painting was done by Barbara Keel, which I still own. Had glass replaced, frame and hung in new office in Opelika. On a regular work day, not Sunday when this happened, I would’ve been at work long before 8:00 AM!
Photo #85 is me! I managed a gift shop, the Tiger Lily, next door to Waldrop’s. The destruction was amazing, but it was also amazing to see all of the things from the store that were unbroken. Where I am standing is no more than 40 feet from the blast site and you can see the stacks of plates that are unharmed!
Hello, Great photos of the Toomer’s explosion. I was a teenager at the time. I was sleeping late that morning as usual. My family was living in Willow Creek out on Highway 14. At breakfast, I remember my mother saying there was a really big “Boom ! ” and our house shook like it had been hit by lightening. I had slept through the explosion. After breakfast, our family drove as close to downtown as possible to see the damage. Later that evening, I was amazed to see photos of our downtown Auburn on the NBC National News television broadcast. Auburn had made the national news.
I remember the blast. Think I have some color photos somewhere. I had just bought my 1st camera. Thought I recognized Nancy. My mom drove through the intersection 20-30 minutes prior, on her way to the Baptist Church a block away. Great pics from Brad.
The photo after Nancy Edwards Eldridge (#86)photo shows Det. Frank DeGraffenreid w/ hat. About 40 frames later must be a young Andy Gentry in center w/ glasses w/ the fire Chief. His office blew up and “The Gentry Building” replaced/filled the hole. Built by Col. Pick and Andy Gentry. Hmmm.
Was living on Thatch at the time, heard the boom, looked out the window to see smoking debris falling from the sky into the yard, including dental records. Some folks came by a day later to collect the records.
My pals and I spent many a wee hour sobering up in that building. Perhaps it suffered for our sins.
AU class of 1966
My will was in Andy Gentry’s office!
I was home from Texas visiting my parents for the weekend. They lived in Cary Woods, and the blast woke me up.
I was the dispatcher for the City of Auburn the morning this occurred. It was an event that I will always remember. Thanks to God no one was hurt that morning.
I was asleep in my apartment on West Magnolia, about a mile away, and the boom shook the whole building. But I didn’t realize what happened until later that day when I went to Foy Union to watch the Super Bowl on a (really bad) big screen TV and heard somebody say “downtown blew up!”
There were many eerie “what if” stories about people who easily could have been killed or injured but varied their normal routines that morning for one reason or another. Thanks for the great pics and the memories.
I was at the corner of Mitcham Ave. and North Gay St. going over the railroad tracks when this happened. That old ’68 Nova shook pretty hard! All this brings back some memories for sure!
I was one of the first Uniform Police Officers on the scene. I had to park my Patrol Unit on West Magnolia one block away from Gay Street. An AU student from the Plainsman took my photograph as I was walking through the intersection at Gay and Magnolia. Have a blowup of that photo hanging on my wall today.
I was preparing a sermon at FBC and after the boom, felt The Lord saying don’t worry about it. Called off services due to potential other gas leaks. Knock my wife out of bed at the BSU on college. Dale H.