Company History

On March 16, 1911, about midnight, the people of Chesapeake City were called from their homes by a fire alarm. The town at this time did not have any Fire Company and the town residents had to use buckets in order to stop the fire. The fire was located on Canal Street. The men with their buckets were doing all they could to put an end to the blaze but it had too much of a head start.

The steamer PENN was going through the Canal, seeing the blaze stopped to help and with their help were able to save some building, but not before the fire destroyed three buildings. This was a great loss to the owners of the houses as well as for the people living in them.

The people of the town hastened to organize a Fire Company. A meeting was held on April 1, 1911 in a building owned by Mr. eed. At this meeting they decided to ask each taxpayer in town to pay a certain amount towards the starting of a Fire Company.

Subscriptions taken from the town people amounted to $600.10. On April 13th at Mr. Reed's Store, the Fire Company was organized and the following administrative officers were appointed to serve a three month term:

President - G.H. Reuss

Vice President - J.S. Hopper

Secretary - J.T. Loveless

Treasurer - H.W. Caldwell

At the next meeting, the By-laws Committee consisting of B. Carpenter, R. Reese, Dr. C.C. Laws submitted a set of by-laws they had drawn up. After accepting the by-laws it was agreed when subscriptions reached $900, the subscription list would be called in, binding the subscribers to pay their subscriptions, Dues were set at $1.00. At this same meeting the Company was officially named:

Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 of Chesapeake City

In May 1911, a committee was appointed to buy an engine. This committee went to William B. Hargraves, Secretary and Treasurer of the Building and Wrecking Company, Baltimore, Maryland and purchased a First-Class Make Fire Engine Steamer of the cution-type that had been used in a theatrical play call, "Fighting The Flames". The cost of the engine was $366.30. This was a great bargain as the engine had been used very little.

The engine being purchased, the Company bought a suction hose for $100, along with 1600 feet of hose for $1,200. This was sufficient hose to reach from the creek or canal to any house in the town. Motorized equipment, at this time was not invented, and the fireman pulled the steamer to its destination to fight fires.

W.A. Queck, G.N. Bennett, and J.P. Steele formed a Building Committee to find a suitable place to house the engine. The committee located and decided to rent the buildings known as the Butcher Shop and Pool Room for both housing the engine and meetings. The Company proceeded to acquire other necessary equipment such as hose carts, lanterns, ladders, axes, etc.

At first, the fireman were alerted for fires by ringing all the church bells in the town. Later alarms were sounded by the Canal and Back Creek Towing Company, by using the whistle on the lock engine. Around 1913, the lock engine not being in use constantly, a bell constructed from a steel rim from a locomotive was used. The code used was sounding four short blasts for fires on the north side; one long and two short for fire on the south side.

A meeting held, June 1, 1911, saw the reappointment of the administrative officers for the remainder of the year. Trustees were:

The first line officers were appointed:

Chief - B. Carpenter

Engineer of the Steamer - J. Brown

Chief Pipeman - Dr. C. C. Laws

Midway in 1911, discussion was held on building a new engine house on the property the government was willing to lease to the Company. The building committee set the dimensions of the house at 30'x20'x18'. These sizes were given to Mr. Harry Pencil who drew up the plans. Mr. Brown was contracted and finished the building in November 1911, for the sum of $800.

The citizens of the town decorated their homes for the ceremonies of housing the apparatus in the new hose house erected along the causeway.

The affair was preceded by a torchlight parade in which Singerly Fire Company, with the Elkton Band, Chesapeake City fireman and the Chesapeake City Band participated.

The parade was headed by the Elkton Band followed by about forty fireman, who wore their equipment and helmets, then followed the hook and ladder truck and then the steamer from Elkton. The Chesapeake City fireman wore red jackets and blue caps and carried lighted torches. The Chesapeake City Band headed the fireman. The steamer and hose cart of the new company followed the marching fireman--the hose cart being drawn by the fireman and the engine by four large gray horses. The route of the parade was through nearly all the streets of the town. A bazaar and supper followed the housing of the apparatus.

The fire company became a corporation of the State of Maryland on November 14, 1911 under the name of:

Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 of Chesapeake City, Inc.

The organization held its first director's meeting on December 21, 1911. New by-laws were adopted. Dues were set at $.25 a year for members. The total amount of capital stock of the company was 200 shares of the par value of $1.00. Any person desiring to become a member of the Company had to buy one share of stock and were issued a stock certificate.

The first directors of the corporation were:

The first election of officers by the members was held at the Annual Meeting of the Company on January 4, 1912.

The officers elected were:

President - G.H. Reuss

Vice President - J.S. Hopper

Secretary - A.G. Deibert

Treasurer - H.W. Caldwell

Chief - B. Carpenter

Engineer of Steamer - J. Brown

Chief Pipeman - C.C. Laws

After successfully negotiating a loan from the Bank the Company purchased a American La France Steamer for $2,000 on September 20, 1919. This engine was also pulled by the fireman to fires. The government later helped the Company by using one of their trucks to tow the engine to fires.

In 1922, the Chesapeake City Band organized under the name of the Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 Band. All participants were fire company members with their officers:

President - W.S. Broadway

Vice President - J.R. Broadway

Secretary - J. Hudson

Treasurer - F. Fillingame

Leader - J. Sager

This band was used in parades and other events and received many awards.

A letter was received from the War Department on November 6, 1922 informing the Company that they were directed to vacate the premises.

The Company purchased its first motorized fire truck, a 600 gallon, gas-propelled 1924 American La France for $10,500.

On March 2, 1925, the War Department again warned the Company that any further occupancy on the land will be at the Company's own risk. On March 16th a letter was sent to the Corps of Engineers stating the Company's desire to have the engine house moved. The Company had the engine house moved by barge to the north side of the canal.