As Maderans neared the end of the 1920s, they were full of optimism. Prospects of oil wells on the outskirts of town danced in the heads of some local capitalists, while others dreamed of raising the funds to build a brand new, four-story hotel on Yosemite Avenue. In the end, however, both schemes failed, and the town entered the 1930s rather tentatively as the nation’s economy took a nosedive.
One of the first indications that the 1930s would not be Madera’s most cherished decade was a fire that hit the downtown area at 6 o’clock on Sunday morning, Sept. 27, 1931. The town was aroused by a woman who frantically ran to the window of the Alta Hotel on Yosemite Avenue, threw it open and yelled for all she was worth, and its a good thing she did. Otherwise, she might have been burned alive. The woman in distress was Miss Nellie McSweeney, an instructor at Madera High School.
Fire Chief John Brammer was quick to reach the scene and was soon directing the fire-fighting efforts. He was the first to see the imperiled teacher. The Chief yelled for Joseph Cappulutti, who was on the roof, and the fire captain carefully made his way to McSweeney’s window.