Plano Daily Star-Courier from Plano, Texas • Page 13

OLD DAN AND DUDE" pulled this horse drawn hose wagon of the Plano 1 re Department many miles in the city to help extinguish fires This wagon was purchased by the city in 1899 and used until 1915 when motorized equipment was built. Plano Volunteer Fire Department Began In 1887 By SCOTT BELL Practically all of the early records of the Plano Fire Department were lost in the fire which destroyed the Plano Star-Courier Plant on January 4. 1911. According to information obtainable from the city records and personal conversation with some of the early residents, we learn that the first department on record was Plano Eclipse Fire which tendered its services to the City Council on June 14. 1887.

This was a bucket brigade, and headed by J. A. Moreman, Chief. On September 13, 1887, the Council purchased a Hook and Ladder Wagon for use by the Department. This equipment later became known as the Davis Hook and Ladder The first building erected for storage of the fire equipment was built January, 1888.

In March, 1888, an ordinance was unanimously adopted to levy a special tax of 10 cents on the $100.00 taxable property to retire indebtedness incurred by purchase of fire equipment. Fire Department was established August 27, 1889, In 1964 the department will celebrate its 75th Anniversary. The need of a water supply for fire fighting purposes was realized and on September 9, 1890, the City Council ordered a well dug at the intersection of Main and Mechanic Streets. Aldermen Fortner, Cummings and Abernathy were appointed as a committee to have a well dug, this well to be 30 feet in depth with a 20-foot jug. On January 13, 1891, a fire pump with sufficient quantity of hose was ordered for the use of the Department.

This was an early hand-operated model. Realizing need of additional equipment, a committee of Aldermen, S. M. Harrington and J. A.

Moreman was appointed to investigate the advantages of chemical equipment, their report be- ARDIS Nautical shift with buttoned, cuffed sleeves and contrasting neckline insert. Definitely worth its salt in double knit wool. 6-16. Royal, trim, Black, trim, Oxford, Red trim, Red, trim. ing favorable.

Council on May 25. 1893, ordered the purchase of a Chemical Engine; also an additional 200 feet of hose for pumper then in use The Chemical equipment was received and put in service November 1893, being known as the M. Chemical Company. In 1894, a fire destroyed the first public school building. February 19, 1894, the Council ordered a lot purchased and building erected for housing fire apparatus.

This lot was just east of the present City Hall and Fire Station. At the Council meeting on March 20, 1894, a Department personnel of six men, namely: A. G. Stopple, R. C.

Hays, Clini Mathews, John Morgan, Stuart Kendrick and John O. Gates, were elected by the Council and were to have sleeping accommodations in the new building. John Gates was elected by the Council to be Chief of the Department. In 1895, the city had a disastrous fire which destroyed most of the businesses section in the city. A total of 51 businesses were destroyed by the fire leaving one building which is now occupied by C.

L. Harrington Appliance. A lapse of three years followed during which no mention is made tee from the Department, with E. O. Harrington.

Chief, appeared before the Council on November 8, 1898. requesting the allowance of $100 00 towards the purchase of harness, with the idea in view of converting all hand-drawn equipment to horse-drawn equipment vehicles. This request was allowed and the Department was to raise the remainder necessary for pur- i chase of harness. This was ac- complished by the Department ent plays. Negro minstrels and other fund raising schemes.

Under this same leadership, la- ter, or on March 14, 1R99. a committee composed of G. Bowman, L. Bailey and J. W.

Shepard, was appointed by the Council to purchase a team of i horses for the Department. This team of black horses were known as and Also about this time, a new hose wagon was purchased and was known as G. W. Bowman Hose Company. The first paid man of the Department was George Goode whose duties were to feed and care for the horser at a salary of $5.00 and also exempt them from street duty for the year 1902.

The first paid station fireman was Murray Hudson who entered the service, March 8. 1904, and remained there until June, 1928, being succeeded by George Wyatt who served for several years later going to University Park Department as driver and Instructor. After several large fires in Plano in 1915 the Fire Department changed from horse darwn to motorized equipment. One fire January 16, 1915, destroyed the Flour Mill which was a four story wooden building containing 12 000 bushels of wheat and also destroyed was four box cars, total loss approximately $8.000 A fire also in 1915 destroyed three brick buildings owned by P. Spil'man containing nine business firms with a loss of $35,000.

A fire destroyed a cotton gin in 1915 valued at more than $10.000. The Department continued to use horse-drawn equipment until the year 1915 when a motorized pumper truck was put into service. This truck was assembled and built by local members and mechanics and was one of the first motorized equipment in a town the size of Plano. This brought about the realization of need for more modern equipment. The chief mechanic on this piece of equipment was A.

T. Shipp, now deceased, and father of deceased station fireman, J. T. Shipp. This equipment was built while Gee Hudson was Chief, who served in that capacity, per- of the Department in the City Records, bringing us to June 3 1897, at which time a petition was presented by R.

M. Woodard, requesting that the City Council recognize a certain number of citizens as "The Plano Frre The petition was granted and from best information obtainable, Ralph Wyatt was Chief of the newly recognized Department. A motion by D. B. Bradshaw, seconded by S.

M. Harrington, that a bell be purchased and placed on City Hall for purpose of fire alarms. Included in the motion was that members of Department be allowed use of rooms in building as sleeping quarters. Or dinance No. 116.

dated September 14, 1897, to regulate and govern fire department was read and passed. Also an additional 1000 feet of hose was ordered purchased. first recorded report was made by Chief Ralph Wyatt on December 14, 1897. June 14, 1898, the Council allowed $2 per month for two teams from Department to practice twice a month. Another re-organization followed in August 1898.

A commit- puunaseti in ism ana tne department remounted the hose bed and pump on the new chassis. Also a 340 gallon booster tank was added This truck is still in service and is used to make both city and country alarms. In 1947 the Fire Department bought an Iron laing. The funds to purchase the Iron Lung were raised by the fire department and citizens of Plano and the surrounding country, This was to be used for emergency on Polio cases In 1948, fire destroyed the warehouse belonging to Farmers Gin Company. Some 100 bales of cotton and equipment belonging to Lane Container which was in the process of moving at the time of the fire The total damage amounted to $40,000 The Fire Department sponsored the Gainesville Circus in 1948 and the profits were used to buy the Fire Department uniforms and also purchase a 1946 Ford Panel Truck to be used as an emergency truck.

This was also equipped with a 2500 watt power plant. On April 2, 1950, Clyde E. (Cotton) Landers, 24, member of the Fire Department gave his life in service of his community while fighting a house fire on the 1400 block of Avenue in the colored section of town. His death was caused by a falling light wire. Three other firemen were slightly injured.

The fire department remodeled their meeting hall and named it Landers Hall in memo- ry of him. In 1953 the City was fortunate enough to be able to a 1953 G.M.C. 750 gallon truck through Civil Defense. The cost for the truck equipped with 1500 Ft, of inch hose and 450 ft. of hose, was less than $5,003.

Also during the 1950's, Gas was put in the colored section cf town which helped to eliminate a great many fires. In 1961, Lone Star Boat Co. of Plano donated a boat to the Fire Department for rescue purposes, i The Department sponsored an- other circus and with the funds received from the circus along with donations, purchased a motor and trailer for the boat. This is another way in which the Fire Department serves the communi- ty, by using this boat for recovering bodies of drowning in lakes around Plano and where ever they are called. In December 1961 the City Council voted to purchase a new fire truck.

This new pumper was purchased from Peter Pirsch Fire Equipment Company and received in November 1962 It has a 750 gallon pump and also a high pressure pump. It carries 550 gallons of water and 1500 inches of hose. 450' of lVi hose, of 1" high pressure hose. It radio equipped. The Fire Department has tried to keep pace with the growth of the city, by adding men and equipment.

In 1949 the city had 55 Ibe plugs and in 1963 the city now has 188 fire plugs and many new water mains have been added to give better fire protection. The fire department now has four paid firemen and 22 volunteer firemen, making a total of 26 men. The department drills four hours each month and coope-aits with other departments in special drills and each year sends the fire marshall and two other firemen to A. M. Firemen's Training school at College Station John Dean, a member of the department, is instructor at Firemen Training School The Department and City Council have worked to lower and maintain the best possible standing and key rate.

An ordinance passed prohibiting the burning of trash in the city has helped mendously in preventing fires. Many of Plano's highly esteemed and beloved citizens name's appear on the records as members down through the years to the present time. The Members of the department today are J. R. Dupree, Chief; Lee Mayfield, Assistant Chief; O.

M. Spurgin, Captain Engine Co. No. Bill Gentry. Capt.

Eng Co. No. Paul Mayfield, Lt. Eng. Co.

No. Cliff Spears. Lt. Eng. Co.

No. B. Garrett. Fire Marshall; Homer Horton. Chaplain; Scott Bell, Reporter: Jimmy Bell, Bobby Bell, Branum, Doyle Chaddick.

J. Collinsworth, Addison Curry, John Dean, Shirly Davidson. Finley, Joe Bill Grifin, Secretary, Jack Harris. George Gunter, Cletis Landers, Elmo Market, Ray Rogers, J. Sheridan, W.

Smith. Many types of emergency calls are answered by the department such as fires, tornadoes, drowning, heart attacks, and rescue. The motto of the department is "Whe Duty Calls tis Ours to The Department stands by ready to protect our community in time of need Alexander the Great and Cleopatra were emerald fanciers Plano Star-Courier SEPT 4, 1963 PAGE 75th ANNIVERSARY, 13 Cong. Ray Roberts Visitor The Star Courier office was honored Thursday of last week by a visit from Congressman Ray Robertr of McKinney, representing the Fourth Congressional District, and Bill Odle. a member of his office staff in Washington and in McKinney.

They were on a brief weekend tour of as much of the Fourth Congressional District as possible and it was a genuine pleasure to meet up with them again. Congressman Roberts and Mr. Odle were taking advantage of the long Congressional Labor Day week-end to visit with home folks. Miss Nancy McChensey established the Plano Courier in 1891. haps longer than any other chief.

In 1927, gas was put in Plano. This helped to slow down the fire losses. Old as the apparatus was familiarly known, served from 1915 until 1929, when a new 600 gallon pumper was brought, 1917 saw the Second truck built by local mechanics, which was a combination hose and Ladder Truck, also equipped with chemical tank. In 1930 another truck was constructed in the city shop by local member mechanics, the pump originally used on being transferred to another chassis, hose body and all other equipment being made, locally, thus giving the city two engines with a combined pumping capacity of 1100 gallons of water per minute. Numerous small tools and appliances have been made bv members and are now in use by the Department.

In 1938 the Presbyterian Church was badly damaged by fire. In 1945 the city purchased a 1942 Army Surplus 500 gallon Dodge Fire Truck which was wrecked in the year of 1952. A 1953 Model Dodge Chassis was We Join In Congratulating The PLANO STAR-COURIER on the successful completion of 75 years of service to Plano and community A. R. Schell Jr.

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