Lawrence County SDGenWeb
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Lawrence County SDGenWeb |
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The citizens of Lead have the largest and best equipped fire department in the state, and they are proud of it. It is composed of six hose companies with the full fire fighting equipment of carts, hose, hook and ladder, lanterns, coats, helmets and many other articles used by a volunteer company. Each company has its own building, each with several rooms, one for social gatherings of the company, a meeting hall for the transaction of business, the room containing the fire apparatus, and usually an extra room. All the buildings have a large bell in an elevated tower which is used for hanging hose to dry after a fire and for storage of extra lengths. Besides the main building there are one or more auxiliary buildings in each ward containing a cart with the accompanying apparatus. At many convenient places are the red fire alarm boxes connecting with the Homestake mill where the big fire whistle is located and when this is blown everybody knows that there is a fire and its location. After one has once heard it, he will never forget it as there is not another just the same in the Black Hills. No matter what time it may be, when an alarm is turned in, the firemen are there in a few minutes later with everything ready for work. The city government is at present considering the purchase of chemical engines for the fire department and everything seems favorable for their introduction in the near future. The six companies of the Lead Fire Department are: Lead City Hose Company No. 1 Lead City Hose Company No. 2 Alert Hose Company No. 3 South Lead Hose Company No. 4 Highland Park Hose Company No. 5 Hiawatha Park Hose Company No. 6. ORGANIZATION and INCORPORATION Hose Company No. 1 was organized in April, 1878, and was incorporated October 16, 1880. Hose Company No. 2, was organized in May, 1887, and was incorporated June 20, 1888. Alert Hose Company was organized April 2nd, 1894, and was incorporated April 21st, 1894 South Lead Hose Company was organized October 5th, 1899, and was incorporated November 8th, 1899. Hiawatha Park Hose Company was organized in March, 1902, and was incorporated April 23rd, 1902. Hose Company No. 1 was the only organization for fighting fire from Lead’s earliest history until the organization of Hose Company No. 2 in 1887. In October of the same year a temporary organization of a Fire Department was effected between the two companies, with David Morgan as Fire Chief, Chas. M. Randolph and Tom Jennings, Assistants, Henry Schmitz, Secretary, and Dan O’Donnell, Treasurer. Permanent organization was effected the following year, October 10th, 1888 and since that time the following Companies have joined the Department: Alert Hose Co., February 13th, 1895; South Lead Hose Co., November 22nd, 1899; Highland Park Hose Co., April 19th, 1902; Hiawatha Park Hose Co., April 28th, 1902. The following are the officers who have served since organization: 1888 Dave Morgan, chief, Chas. M. Randolph and Wes. Peake, assistants, Henry Schmitz, secretary, Dan O’Donnell, treasurer. 1889 David Morgan, chief, James and John Daily, assistants, W. R. Dickinson, secretary, S. R. Smith, treasurer. 1890 David Morgan, chief, A. J. White and S. R. Smith, assistants, Henry Jacobs, secretary, W. R. Dickinson, treasurer. 1891 Chas. S. Parsons, elected to fill unexpired term of David Morgan, chief resigned. 1891 S. R. Smith, chief, A. J. White and R. Pancoast, assistants, Henry Jacobs, secretary, L. A. Fell, treasurer. 1892 S. R. Smith, chief, Mike Cain and G. W. Dorrance, assistants, Henry Jacobs, secretary, L. A. Fell, treasurer. 1893 Thos. J. Sparks, chief, James Welch and Walter McKay, assistants, A. Patriquin, secretary, C. B. Noyes, treasurer. 1894 Thos. J. Sparks, chief, Walter McKay and James Welch, assistants, R. H. Purcell, secretary, J. E. Allison, treasurer. 1895 John Daly, chief, Jack Sheridan and Mike Cain, assistants, Wm. Lang, secretary, J. V. Parker, treasurer. 1896 John Daly, chief, Jack Sheridan and Mike Cain, assistants, Wm. Lang, secretary, J. V. Parker, treasurer. 1897 S. R. Smith, chief, R. F. Tackabury and J. F. Peters, assistants, J. E. Allison, secretary, A. H. Ludlin, treasurer. 1898 Tim Foley, chief, L. A. Moran, Fred Shackelford, assistants, R. F. Tackabury, secretary, S. R. Smith, treasurer. 1899 Tim Foley, chief, Fred Shackelford, and Geo. L. Inman, assistants, John H. Wilson, secretary, Wm. H. Lyon, treasurer. 1900 Fred Shackelford, chief, Amos Patriquin, assistant, John H. Wilson, secretary, Wm. H. Lyon, treasurer. 1901 L. A. Fell, chief, C. B. Coolidge, Thos. Brownlee, Albert Mochon, assistants, M. J. Harris, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1902 L. A. Fell, chief, J. E. Cooper, Geo. Leary, Arthur Eldridge, assistants, M. J. Harris, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1903 J. E. Cooper, chief, Con Sullivan, H. W. Bartlett, J. J. Christ, assistants, R. McLeod, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1904 J. E. Cooper, chief, Con Sullivan, H. W. Bartlett, J. J. Christ, assistants, R. McLeod, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1905 J. B. Mayo, chief, Con Sullivan, H. W. Bartlett, W. J. Harvey, assistants, R. McLeod, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1906 J. B. Mayo, chief, Con Sullivan, H. W. Bartlett, W. J. Harvey, assistants, R. McLeod, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1907 M. Ballantyne, chief, A. J. Leveque, J. E. Cooper, Ed. Regan, assistants, R. McLeod, secretary, Wm. Lyon, treasurer. 1908 M. Ballantyne, chief, H. W. Bartlett, J. E. Cooper, Ed. Regan, assistants, W. E. Royce, secretary, T. C. Robinson, treasurer. 1909. John McBride, chief, Ernest Stevens, Alfred Gravel, Ben Corbell, assistants, John W. Butler, Andrew Bray, secretaries, E. O. Harris, secretary, T. C. Robinson, M. Ballantyne, treasurers 1910 A. L. Coolidge, chief, W. E. Royce, C. L. Ayer, Ray Stoner, assistants, A. M. Woodward, A. E. Monehan, secretaries, Chester Matson, treasurer. |