Newark Firehouse history
The following was part of a series of articles written for the Courier-Gazette by Cecilia Jackson. Many of the articles were compiled in a 1978 book, Annals of Arcadia.
The consolidation of Newark's fire companies in one
central headquarters is indicative of the changing times. When a hamlet is first settled
it is not long before a school, church and fire department are organized.
As early as 1835, long before the village of Newark was incorporated in 1853, a group of men formed a fire company and manned the town-owned fire engine. This, of course, was hand-drawn equipment.
As the village grew, it was found necessary to have such hand-drawn equipment placed in other parts of the village. Also, with the coming of the West Shore Railroad in 1884, a house on the north side of the village could burn to the ground while fire equipment on the south side waited for a long freight train to pass.
Since the names of the early fire companies have been changed, it is a little difficult to know which were the ones stationed at the fire headquarters in City Hall, and which were at the New York Central or East Newark. History tells us the Newark Engine Co. No. 1 was organized on June 1, 1859, and, at the same time, the Arcadia Fire Co. No. 2 was born.
It was on March 29, 1859 that two fire engines were purchased at $350 each. These were hand-drawn vehicles. On June 17, 1862, the Hook and Ladder Co. was formed and the Protective Extinguisher Co. No. 1 followed in April 1882. The Excelsior Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1 was organized in 1886.
Difficulties with the West Shore crossing stimulated the organization of the New York Central Hook and Ladder in January 1888 and that same year M.J. Flynn was named chief of the entire department. Joel H. Prescott was the first fire-chief named in 1864. Mr. Prescott was a Phelps native and came to Newark in 1844 where he conducted a general store until 1854. He was major, colonel and paymaster of the 71st Regiment, N.Y. Militia. He became secretary of the Wayne County Mutual Insurance Company and continued in the insurance business which is still active today under the firm name of Ely and Leene.
Mr. Prescott served as president and
trustee of the village for a decade and for nine years was president, trustee and
secretary of the Union School and Academy of Newark. He was postmaster for eight years and
was the first presidential appointment in the village. In 1851 he became one of the
founders of St. Mark's Episcopal Church and has served as vestryman and warden. Prescott
was prominent in the community and this has been true of firemen to this day.
In 1894 Landmarks of Wayne County reported four fire companies in the village; the Protective Extinguisher No. 1, the Deluge Hose Co. No. 1, the Excelsior Hook and Ladder No. 1 and the New York Central Hose Co.
M.J. Flynn is credited with bringing horses to the department, although this was only at City Hall. The East Newark and New York Central companies still struggled with handdrawn equipment until the department was motorized in 1919. M.J. Flynn once told the story of his means of getting the horses. While he was attending a meeting of the village fathers to ask for horses the fire whistle sounded. He enlisted the board members to haul the equipment to the scene of the fire. Exhausted, the board returned to their meeting and voted for horses.
Flynn also was given credit for directing the establishment of the fire alarm system and the first motorized equipment was installed under his direction in 1919. Flynn was chief for 21 years, but not successively. He was a member of the department from 1864 when he served with Ray Pomeroy in the Deluge Hose Co. as torch boys.
After the City Hall was built in 1908-09, quarters were
provided for the fire truck driver and his family. This was ended some years ago. Disaster
struck when Herbert Lagenor, one of the early fire truck drivers was killed when the
horses ran away. He was replaced by the late Police Chief Solon McKown who drove the fire
truck horses, Tom and Jerry, several years before joining the police force.
C.J. Dangle, who came to Newark from Buffalo in 1899 followed McKown as driver. He and Mrs. Dangle had just been married, she once recalled, and he taught his bride to slide down the brass pole and hitch up the horses while he was getting into his uniform.
C.E. Brinkerhoff followed Dangle. Bringerhoff's son, Melvin, recalls that the family had just moved into the fire headquarters when the Armistice was announced of WW I in November 1918. He recalls the whistle blowing for the false alarm, then for the actual event. Brinkerhoff remained driver after the motorized equipment was voted in 1919. Arthur Lyman took over the job in 1943 and was the last of the resident fire drivers.
Paul Priebe is Chief of the Fire Department and is responsible for a two-year period for all fire functions. Gerald Velte is first assistant; Richard Colacino, second assistant and Earl Fagner, third assistant. Each of the four fire companies, now active, have three members on the Fire Council.
The Protective Extinguisher Company with only four living members claims it has not disbanded but turned its books over to the town historian and its treasury to the village board a number of years ago. The last banquet of the Protectives was held in 1947. Members today are T. Spencer Knight, L.H. VanTassel, Harrison C. Bloomer, and Justice M.E. Livingston, who term themselves "Armchair Firemen".
Election of officers of all fire companies occur in April. Walter Zehder was elected president (or chief) of the Arcadia Hose Co. in East Newark in April 1976; Lynwood Kouwe is president of the New York Central Hose Co. No. 5 on North Main Street; Kenneth Merton is president of the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Co. No. 4 at City Hall and Donald E. Ahrens, president of the Deluge Hose Co., No. 1 at City Hall.
Chief Engineer Harold Glerum, who was appointed in May 1965, is responsible for maintenance and care of all fire apparatus and the municipal fire alarm system, as well as the building in which they are housed. He is also in charge of all paid assistants of which there are five full-time and four part-time firemen.
"Consolidation of all fire companies
in one place," Glerum explained, "is for maintenance and security." He
pointed out that while Newark has never had vandalism to contend with, the Palmyra Fire
department suffered severe damage two years ago and since then security has been provided
the East Newark and New York Central stations.
The new quarters on East Miller Street provide a place for all fire equipment, even the department's reserve pumper and the rescue vehicle which were formerly lodged at the village car barns. Not only is the equipment all in one building, but the fourth floor of the village owned property, the former Commercial building, provides offices for each of the four fire companies as well as quarters for the Firemen's Auxiliary, a subsidiary of the department.
Gone are the days when a freight on the West Shore would hold up the fire engines. Long gone are the days when huffing and puffing firemen arrive at the fire with handdrawn equipment. No longer is it necessary to harness "Tom and Jerry" for a run to the fire. Today modern equipment is housed in a modern firehouse for fire protection for the entire village.
Photos and postcards from the collection of Bernard O'Connell
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