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Picture “Active firemen in 1949 were, front row, Lowell Dauber, Jack Hatcher, Larry Krueger, J. C. Butler and Harold Carr. Second row, Francis Miller, Harry Gibeaut, John Mullan, Glen Kern, Kenneth Kadlec and Merven Trump. Third row, James Rife, Elmer Border, Homer Dodge, Howard Ferguson and O. H. Curtis. Fourth row, Ed Henkel, Earl Miller, Robert Mullan, Don Young, David Boyles, Harlan Young. Fifth row, Joe J. Paidar, Ernest Green, Don Boots, Woodrow Beyers, Dana Green and Harold Nicoll.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
A group of men met Dec. 10, 1894, at the Opera House, located over what is Joe’s Super Market today, to organize a fire department and elect officers. Dr. A. F. Fairchild, dentist was elected president; F. L. Wilson, Secretary; D. C. Gilliland, fire chief, and it was called the Gilliland Fire Co. Mr. Gilliland served as chief until his death in 1911.
Minutes show the first fire alarm to be Jan. 21, 1895 at 5:35 p.m. in the billiard hall. The minutes state that the company did good work. The first equipment consisted of a hand pumper operated by 4 men on each side. Each man had his own station and they worked in shifts.
The first hose cart was built by C. N. Warren, a member of the fire company and cost $57.35 in July 1895. The town paid $30 of the costs. A hook and ladder truck was built in Dec. 1902 at a cost of $100 and like the hose cart, was pulled by the men.
A town hall was built in 1896 with a room for fire fighting equipment, a jail and a council room.
Dec. 24, 1933 at 11:45 a.m. a fire was reported at the Methodist church. Firemen from Stanwood, Tipton, Lisbon and Mt. Vernon aided the Mechanicsville department in saving property surrounding the church. The church, twice damaged by fire previously, burned to the ground.
In December 1934 the fire company purchased the first motor fire truck for approximately $2600. Money for this truck was solicited by members of the fire company from farmers and townspeople alike.
In January, 1948, a second truck was bought. It also has an International chassis and more equipment, including a fog nozzle. The truck made its first run here, to the Leonard Koppenhaver farm, when their home caught fire. This truck, which receives little use now is still owned by the fire department.
In the fall of 1956, the company acquired a mobile water tank. The tank was mounted on the chassis of a second hand truck, and altogether it cost about $1200. It made its first run to the Stuckslager farm northeast of town, where a 40 x 60 foot barn, with 75 tons of hay, burned to the ground. The tank transported 3000 gallons of water to this fire and helped to save buildings very close to the burned one.
An older step-van was purchased in 1961 for $150 and remodeled into an equipment truck by members of the department.
In 1963, the Gilliland Fire Department changed its name to the Mechanicsville Fire Department. A new fire truck was also purchased at a cost of $16,383. The first call for the new truck was at the school house where the entrance wires to the main building had burned off.
In 1966 a new tanker was purchased and its first call was on October 27, 1966 to the Joe Krob farm where a shed was on fire. When firemen arrived, high winds had spread the flames to a corn crib, 2 barns and a machine shed. Also numerous grass fires were started to an adjoining field . . .
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Picture: “Current members of the Mechanicsville Fire Department are front row, left to right, Janet Taylor, Joan Moravek, Jeanne Cook, Ernest Albaugh, Robert Dauber, Marlin Flynn, Steve Hurley, Ronald Albaugh and Nancy Jo Albaugh. Center row, Dale Cook, Lowell Cook, Vernon Boots, Larry Butler, Vernon Taylor, Terry Jones and Nancy A. Albaugh. Back row, Ronald Skow, Eugene Knutsen, Russell Moravek, William Koch, James Danley, Gerald Dawson, Gordon McDowell, Carl Warren Jr. Not present were Jacqueline Moffit, Glen Kern, Joe J. Paidar Sr., Joe E. Paidar Jr., Norman Williams, Clifford Dickey and Steve Seehusen.”
Picture: “These retired firemen attended the 1949 banquet of the Gilliland Fire Department. They were , front row, Sam Young, Ira Johnson, Harry Gibeaut, Will Young, Roy Stoffel, George Dennis, Will Thimmes, Harland Maurer and Walter Spry. Back row, Ray Mullan, Hurley Scott and John Prush.”
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Picture: The fire department’s “Old Lizzie” is still in use as the Legion post’s fun wagon. Bill Woods and Ray Rouse give the mayor and council and friends a ride during the annual spring clean-up parade. Picture: In 1909 the fire station and water tower looked like this.
. . . and the new tanker was put to a good test making many trips for water.
In 1969 the old fire station was torn down and a new one erected to house the fire equipment, a firemen’s meeting room and a town council room. All of the work on the interior of the building was done by the firemen. This took many man hours of labor and saved the community a substantial amount of money.
In 1970 the Mechanicsville Fire Department purchased a new crash truck to haul equipment and a new ambulance. Most of the firemen had taken first aid training and volunteered to man the ambulance. The ambulance has been kept very busy since its purchase.
On June 28, 1972 the fire alarm was sounded and the fire trucks did not have to go far as the fire was in the adjoining council room. Damage was confined to the council room and contents with some smoke damage to the firemen’s room.
A new fire truck was purchased in 1972 to replace the 1947 model. In July 1972 the fire department voted to add 5 female members as ambulance attendants. These 5 ladies are the first women to ever belong to the Iowa Firemen’s Association.
Present officers are Norman Williams, president; Joe Paider, Sr., vice-president; Ernest Albaugh, secretary and treasurer; Ronald Albaugh, chief; Lowell Cook, 1st assistant; William Koch, 2nd assistant; Robert Dauber, 3rd assistant; Russell Moravek, trustee; and Dale Cook, ambulance chief. Joe Paidar Sr. is the oldest active member.
The Mechanicsville Fire Department is one of the best, if not the best, volunteer fire department in the state and the community is very proud of it.
