Beall's Department Store Fire - - 1966

Beall's was one of the largest department stores in Ruston for many years. This location experienced a major fire in 1966, one of several that has ravaged the downtown district in the last 100 years. With buildings adjoining one another, fire easily spreads from one to another. The 1966 fire led to significant changes to the Ruston Fire Department. At the time, the department did not have any ladder trucks or aerial trucks and had to rely on a utility company's bucket trucks to fight the fire. The enhancement of equipment in the years after vastly improved Ruston's firefighting capabilities. This site was renovated and several businesses have occupied it since the fire. Beall's moved to a new location in Village Plaza, Ruston's first strip mall which has since been demolished.