History of Linglestown Fire Company - Part 3

The following post is from The 25th Anniversary of Linglestown Fire Company commemorative book. The anniversary was celebrated in June 1959.

The older firemen often relate the incident of the fire at the Regal Farm, located at the intersection of Route 39 and the road to Piketown at Beaver Creek, when the chicken house and later the house caught fire.  This fire occurred sometime after the Model T Pumper had been purchased, and the Linglestown Fire Company was still an unrecognized fire company.  However, the location of the fire unknown to the people of Linglestown, fire companies from Harrisburg. Penbrook and Progress came through the town blowing sirens and heading to the fire. The local firemen could not understand why their company was not called and they waited hoping someone would put a call through for them to respond to the fire. After about one half hour the fellows agreed they would go and see if they could be of any help.

When the Linglestown Fire Company arrived at the fire, the chicken house was already burned down and the house had caught fire.  Having some experience of pumping from streams, the Linglestown boys pulled up on the bridge, dropped the suction hose in the creek, connected up the 2 1/2" hose and started towards the house. As our boys started spraying water on the house, one of the members of the Camp Curtin Fire Company of Harrisburg said " Here I  will take the hose" and our boys said, "This is Linglestown's line, your pumper is down at the creek trying to pump water and can't". It is unfortunate that the Linglestown Fire Company was not called earlier, since through the efforts of the Linglestown Fire Company the house was saved from total destruction. No water was put on the fire prior to the arrival of the Linglestown Fire Company. From this time on, the Linglestown Fire Company was respected among all the other nearby fire companies as well as the citizens of the community when they heard the good work the Linglestown men did when they got into action.

This was published in 1959 so it was 1940 - 1959

The fire company at no time ever lacked drivers and volunteers when a fire call was received except during World War II, year of 1945. Many of the men of the community were called up for service and the older men were employed in defense plants and at military installations. There was a discussion as to the merits of teaching some of the women of the community how to drive the truck and to respond to alarms, especially during daylight hours.   However, the war ended in August 1945 and this situation soon adjusted itself when the boys returned home from the war.