Trending
After a disastrous fire, resulting in $7,000 loss, a special meeting of the Marshall village council was called by M. Sullivan, president, on July 10, 1890, at which a motion carried to charter a fire department. The following were charter members of the Marshall Volunteer Fire Department: Fred M. Healy, chief; E.L. Healy, president; J. Pierard, vice president; C.H. Johnson, treasurer; T. J. Baldwin, secretary; George B. Hughes. foreman; W.B. Thorburn, assistant foreman; Z. Smith, James Andrew and Harry Addison, trustees; Harry Addison, chief engineer and Jay Truax, assistant engineer. Members included: Ray Baldwin, Frank Cutting, Charles Laudenslager, Frank Whitney, Fred Webster, George Hughes, P. Baker, Oscar Krook, C.H. Johnson, William Simmons, Len Barnes, George Upton, George Taylor, Charles Goodwin, Z. Smith, Guy Remore, Cliff Golder, and John Sturgeon.
A week later, the first meeting of the department took place, in which bylaws were written and adopted. Before the fire department was officially organized in July of 1890, the village council had already authorized the building of an engine house and purchase of a fire engine, hose, and other equipment six month earlier in January. The engine house, also used as a city hall, was built in the summer of 1890 and a steam engine was put in service that summer as well. The original members of the department were equipped with a steam Clapp & Jones engine, two hose carts, 1,200 feet of house and a supply wagon.
The fire department's "Engine No. 1" was a Pierce-Arrow touring car that cost about $6,500 when purchased new in 1916. The car was owned by the Marshall Milling Company founder/president William Gieseke, Gieseke or his chauffeur drove the car in and around Marshall for 10 years, but in 1927, Marshall needed a fire truck, and Gieseke volunteered his Pierce-Arrow. The city cut the car in half, discarding the two backseats and stretched the frame to make room for the pump. The Pierce-Arrow was used for 25 years before being retired in 1953. The truck was stored in various places before being restored in the 1970s. Tom Hess, Irwin Stellmacher, Don Labat, and Dave Marks are just some of the many who contributed time in the restoration. Today, Engine No. is located in the Marshall Fire Department building.
The photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum's collection was taken during a parade on Main Street, circa 1930. The photograph shows Engine No. 1 in front of the News Messenger building and the Marshall City Hall building.
The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a nonprofit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 West Lyon Street in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open year-round to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.