LACONIA — From a fire that destroyed more than a hundred homes to fatal train wrecks, Laconia has suffered an array of disasters over the years.

This summer, an exhibit of those events is displayed on the second floor of the Laconia Public Library. “When Disaster Strikes” covers the fires of 1846 and 1903 that ravaged Lakeport and the Great Weirs Fire of 1924, which leveled the tourist spot, along with the Hurricane of 1938 and the flooding of March 1936.

Newspaper clippings, photographs and other items delve into times when there were no fire departments or hospitals.

In fact, the earliest disasters spurred the community to a create a fire department and establish a hospital, the exhibit states.

“In 1846, when Laconia was still known as Meredith Bridge, a fire destroyed nearly all of the buildings in town,” according to one exhibit. “Displaying resilience, the townspeople rebuilt. Just 14 years later, another fire devastated the town again. This time, not only did the townspeople rebuild for the future, but also, they established a fire department to protect it. Since the mid-19th century, disaster has struck Laconia many times, often in the form of fire, sometimes with extreme weather, other times as pure happenstance. Regardless of the form of disaster, Laconia has persevered.

“'When Disaster Strikes' retells and illustrates the city's most disastrous events to honor those who suffered through them and communicate how Laconia was shaped by them,” the display introduction reads.

The Lakeport Association, the Laconia Fire Department, Russ Hobby, Bob Fortier and the Laconia Public Library all contributed to the exhibit created by the Laconia Historical Society & Museum Society.

Hobby said the Lakeport fire of May 26, 1903, was by far the worst disaster the city has seen.

It began about 2 p.m. in the boiler room of H.H. Wood Mill.

By 4 p.m. 150 acres of the village were in flames, fed by strong wind and tinder-dry conditions. It spread through Lakeport and up the hill through Elm and Washington streets to Belvidere Hill and on to School Street.

Firefighters from as far as Dover came by rail to help, but in the end the fire burned itself out, leaving 500 people homeless. There were no deaths to people, but it took a significant toll in pets and livestock.

The exhibit shows by street the number of houses consumed by fire — 108 in all plus two churches, two factories, two mills, two blacksmith shops and the firehouse.

There is also a display of the Great Weirs Fire of 1924 in the casino, which soon spread to the New Weirs Hotel, amusement halls, gift shops, a Methodist Church, boarding houses and grocery stores.

That fire on a November day brought more than 20,000 spectators, according to news accounts.

A week after the fire, a 29-year-old former resident of the Laconia State School confessed to setting it. He said he was “inspired by motion pictures” to start the fire.

The March 1936 flood is also included with a bold Manchester Union Leader headline declaring “Disaster and Death from Mountain Notches to the Sea.”

Laconia did not see as much death and disaster as other parts of the state, but there was serious flooding at Busy Corner, as seen in a photograph.

The Hurricane of 1938, with 100-mile-an-hour gusts and 10 inches of rain, killed 13 New Hampshire residents and destroyed half of the white pine in the state. Its photos show large trees fallen atop of houses.

The exhibit runs through August and images can be viewed at laconiahistorical.org.

ptracy@unionleader.com