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The Walter J. Meyocks Post 264 at Urbana was organized in March of 1919. The Legion Post was named for a World War I Veteran who died. Walter J. Meyocks was born February 16, 1894. His rank in service was Private with the Seral Number 1415022. He was buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Keystone, Iowa June, 1921. He served in France in these battles: Aisne-Maine, St. Mehiel, Meuse- Argonne, and Defensive Sector.
The charter members of the Legion are: Ross Remer, Roy Petro, Tilson Petro, Wm. Hunter, Sam Hunter, Geo. Dripps, Carl Culver, Freid Rice, Rush Cumberland, Ross Cook, Howard Woodruff, Frank Woodruff, Floyd McCoy, and Horace Edgeton. At this time (1976), thre are still 3 ofthe charter members living. They are Roy Petro, Freid Rice, and Floyd McCoy.
The legionnaires purchased the old "Opera House" in Urbana, where they held their regular meetings. On February 17, 1953, the building burned. The members had spent $7,000.00 remodeling the building shortly before the fire. Loss was estimated at $15,000.00. There was $4,000.00 insurance on the structure. Rebuilding began shortly, but it was several years before the building was completed.
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Shortly after the big fire and explosion of J. D. Burrell’s business, a large wooden water tower was built. It stood over a water pump in the middle of the street between the Remer Hotel (where Raymond Scott now (1976) lives) and the old Reid building (the building removed recently to make room for the park). The purpose of the water tower was fire protection and also for the horses in Theo. Remer’s livery stable. To get pressure Frank Burrell had a pump made that was to be operated by four men. It worked on the order of the railroad handcars. When the men pumped the pressure caused the water to shoot out a long spout, like a fire hose. For years after the tower was gone, the pump stood in the street.
The large water tower in town was erected at approximately the same time that electricity came in about 1915. There was City Water when the new brick schoolhouse was built in 1916.
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At first, the "Bucket Brigade" was the only means Urbana had of fighting a fire. At the time of J. D. Burrell’s explosion and fire in 1899, Mr. Troxell, a Vinton man working in Urbana, was made captain of the day to lead the bucket brigade in trying to keep nearby buildings from burning. His work that day was highly praised by the newspaper. Although two buildings scorched, they were not burned.
Around the turn of the century, Urbana organized a fire department. The first recording of a fire chief was Carl Wilford. The first fire fighting equipment, other than buckets, was a two-wheeled cart. Later, a four wheeled cart pulled by horses or a car. Finally the Fire Department got a truck that ran on its own; a 1932 Ford with a chemical tank. This truck was kept in the garage behind Dripps’ Conoco Station until a fire house could be obtained.
In 1948, the farmers around Urbana gave the Fire Department a $6,525 pumper truck. The truck held 500 gallons of water and included a full line of accessories, from raincoats to one-man extinguishers.
In 1951, another tanker truck was added. The fire trucks at this time were housed at the present site, but in a wooden building, one block east of the business district on Wood Street.
On April 18, 1958, the first rescue unit was purchased, a 1947 Cadillac, for $500.00. In 1960, the old one was traded for a 1952 Cadillac for $1100.00 This ambulance was quite complete with oxygen, blankets, pillow, sheets, cot, and stretcher. In April, 1966, a 1962 Pontiac ambulance was purchased for $3,250.00. The present rescue car is a 1968 Pontiac, purchased in October of 1974. The citizens donated the money to buy this rescue car.
The equipment in use today (1976) consists of: 1948 pumper, 1967 tanker, one 6 x 6 truck, and a 1968 rescue car, housed in a new fire station and city hall built in 1973.
At one time there were only three members of the Fire Department. In 1948 there were fourteen members; today there are thirty one active members and four reserves. The members of the Fire Department are all volunteers.
Some of the past Fire Chiefs were: Carl Wilford, Glenn Ferguson, John Johnson, Albert Hepker, Sr., Merle Hepker, Cliff Hepker, and David Boyles. The present Fire Chief is Albert Hepker, Jr. Cliff Hepker was made an honorary Fire Chief for serving twenty years as Chief.
In recent years "water fighting" has become a popular sport and entertainment. Each team of three or four firemen compete with firemen from other towns. With firehoses, they aim at a barrel, suspended from a wire between two poles, and with the water pressure they try to get the barrel to the opposite side. They have a pretty good team. In 1975 they ranked in the top 15, out of over 200 teams in the state. In the past they have been in the top eight.
There is also a women’s team. Although there aren’t as many women competing in the state, Urbana girls were "State Champs" for 1975.
A Women’s Auxiliary was started in November of 1974. All firemen’s wives are eligible, but there are only 14 - 15 active members. Their function is to serve coffee, etc., at a fire that has to be watched for a long time. Also, they assist in raising money for a specific project. They do anything they can to help in a disastrous fire.
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Around 1883, an amazing new apparatus came to Joe Moore’s Grocery Store; the telephone! His store was probably the busiest place in town, as everyone was curious about the new phone. It was a crank-type phone with batteries. You rang the operator by turning the crank. She answered and you gave her your number and waited for someone to answer. Sometimes people just visited with the operator.
The first phone was of the long distance line and connected with Vinton and Cedar Rapids. The first switchboard operator was Mrs. Mary Moore. From this place (not known when) it was moved to Lena Schmitz’ house. Margaret Schmitz and her mother operated it until March of 1915 when it was moved to a house where Carl and Sylvia Wilford had moved. Their seven girls helped operate the board by taking turns. When Mr. Wilford died, in 1945, Walter and Faye Hepker and their family started operating the switchboard.
The Hepkers retired from the telephone office in 1957. Floyd and Darlene Clark had the job until 1961. At that time the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company was organized. It brought the dial telephone to Urbana. The old switchboard was removed. At the end of this era, of the ring phone, there were 75 lines and 300 telephones.
Miss Virginia Wilford worked as a switchboard operator for 27 years; longer than any other Urbana operator.
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