Dates to be Remembered - Linglestown Fire Company

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

1850 - Paxton Fire Company of Linglestown purchased first hand pumper which was pulled by men with ropes attached.

1898 - End of Paxton Fire Company. History of LInglestown by Nevin W. Moyer relates that the town's blacksmith turned the hand pumper into a very useful wagon for the purpose of hauling beer kegs at the local tavern.

FEBRUARY 28, 1934 - Rev. Elias H. Philips called for a town meeting to be held at the American Legion Home (formerly the chapel of the EUB Church) for the purpose of organizing a fire company.  The fire company was organized at this meeting and the fire chiefs elected to serve one year.

MARCH 22, 1935 - First fire truck purchased. This truck consisted of a Ford, Motel T, chassis with a centrifugal pump, ladders and a booster tank with hose reel. This fire truck was purchased used from the Elizabethville Fire Company, Elizabethville, PA.

APRIL 10, 1935 - First fire house was a garage in rear of Care's home on North Mountain Street located near the EUB Church. This building was torn down when the property was purchased by Clark Basehore.

DECEMBER 11, 1935 - Second fire house was a garage owned by Fleck Mixell, the town barber. 

FEBRUARY 10, 1937 - Linglestown School House purchased for permanent fire house. (Present site).

JULY 28, 1938 - Ladies Auxiliary of the fire company organized.

APRIL 12, 1939 - Lower Paxton Township Fireman's Relief Association organized.

DECEMBER 6, 1940 - New fire truck purchased. This fire truck consisted of a 95 HP Ford truck chassis with a 750 gallon per minute pump with all the other modern fire fighting accessories.

MARCH 9, 1955 - Two thousand gallon tank truck purchased and put into service by the fire company.

AUGUST 10, 1955 - Construction of the new wing to the fire house started to provide for three pieces of fire fighting equipment.

AUGUST 10, 1955 - First radio for communication purposes installed on pumper

NOVEMBER 14, 1956 - Dam constructed by fire company on Schradely property for fire protection  of Linglestown.

JULY 1, 1959 - Fire house officially dedicated for community service.

Great Damage in Linglestown - Hbg. Telegraph, Wed. Sept. 30, 1896

This is just the Linglestown section-the whole article took up the entire front page.

Thank you Laura Gifford for sending this article.

History of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Linglestown Fire Company

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

On July 25, 1938 the following ladies met in the fire house to organize an auxiliary to the Fire Company. 

                                                 Mrs. Milton Allen      

                                                 Mrs. Herman Allen 

                                                 Mrs Ezra Care

                                                 Mrs. Edward Deibler

                                                 Mrs. Carlton Gardner 

                                                 Mrs. John Snyder 

                                                 Mrs. Paul Zimmerman 

                                                 Mrs. Ellen Light

The purpose of the organization was to promote and encourage civic activities among the women of the community and to assist the Fire Company, within their financial ability, in making improvements as needed to the fire house.

At this first meeting the following officers were elected:

                            President---------------------------Mrs. Paul Zimmerman

                            Vice President--------------------Mrs. David Nye

                            Recording Secretary------------Mrs. E. Victor Light

                            Financial Secretary--------------Mrs. Mrs. Carlton Gardner

                            Treasurer---------------------------Mrs. Herman Allen

                            Chaplain----------------------------Mrs. Milton Allen

Also at this meeting the Auxiliary established a charge to be made for membership of $.25 with dues at $.10 per month.

December 31, 1938 the records of the Auxiliary showed 63 active members.

Dues were established at $1.00 per year during 1939.

Auxiliary held a picnic on July 26, 1939, at Piketown to celebrate their first anniversary. All the firemen were invited.

Auxiliary paid the cost of installing water system in fire house in 1939.

Auxiliary held their first covered dish supper in1940.

Auxiliary entered parade as a marching group during the 175th Anniversary Celebration of the founding of Linglestown held August 1940.

Purchased an American flag for meeting room in 1941.

First deceased member of the Auxiliary, Mrs. Riley Hinkle, reported  in minutes of 1941.

Purchased service flag in 1942. Original service flag had 7 stars with more added later.

Auxiliary presented a gift to all firemen when they entered the Armed Forces beginning 1942.

Auxiliary set up a casualty station in the fire house in 1942.

Auxiliary printed first birthday calendars in 1944.

Through the efforts of the Auxiliary, the Community Garden Club of Linglestown was founded in 1944.

Auxiliary had a contest among its members which ran from April 1943 to April 1944 and raised a total of $2,500.

Service plaque purchased for the fire company in 1945. Service plaque had 72 names with one gold star.

Auxiliary sponsored a Girl Scout Troop in1949.

New ceiling in meeting room was paid for by the Auxiliary in 1951.

Auxiliary had a new tile floor laid in meeting room in 1952.

Auxiliary made first cancer dressings for the Cancer Society in 1954.

Auxiliary paid $500 towards the purchase of the tanker.

Auxiliary purchased bronze memorial to pay tribute to the firemen and members of the Auxiliary upon their death. Purchased in 1955 at a cost of $256.

Auxiliary paid $2,850 for new heating plant in 1955.

Auxiliary paid $400 towards the purchase of the portable light plant carried on fire truck. Purchased in 1958.

Auxiliary purchased five dozen folding chairs for meeting room in February 1959.

Auxiliary purchased new blinds for windows in the meeting room as well as the paint used to  repaint the meeting room in March 1959.

The Auxiliary is still active today.