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Vineland's First Fire Company
On July 23, 1872 a meeting of the Fire Department was held at the Union Hall. George Souther submitted the draft for a constitution which was adopted with few exceptions. The first officers elected were: Ezekiel Morely, Foreman, a carpenter from New York who settled in Vineland in 1863; William V. Prince, First Assistant, who came to Vineland with his family when he was 20 years old and went into business with his father at Kimball and Prince Lumber Company; John L. Ring, Second Assistant, a farmer and later a shoemaker who settled here in 1864; Rev. Oscar Clue, Secretary, a former teacher and Mathematics Professor who arrived in Vineland in 1867 to take charge of the Unitarian Society; and George Pearson, Treasurer, a Pennsylvanian and one of Vineland's older citizens who settled here in 1864 and purchased 20 acres of land on Landis Avenue.
Several days later another meeting was held at the Union Hall. The company adopted "Vineland Hook and Ladder Fire Company" as its official name and five new volunteers were admitted. The Foreman appointed as Fire Police: Lucius H. Babcock, Proprietor of a small supply store; Eli H. Pierson, a Blacksmith and owner of livery stable on Landis Avenue; Nathan P. Wiswell, a Shoecutter and co-owner with his brother of the first shoe factory in the settlement; William Dawson, an England born Plasterer and Mason; Charles D. Baily, owner of a confectionary and bakery shop; and Dr. David W. Allen, Dentist.
The Fire Police were to have the care and protection of all goods removed from the buildings during a fire, with the power to arrest those tampering with any of the properties. They had the same privileges as the firemen, exemption from jury and militia duty.
John Huggett, a road master on the Vineland section of the West Jersey Railroad and a foreman supervising the laying of the West Jersey and Atlantic Railroads; Charles Bracket, a lumber foreman and salesman; Truman Mabbett, Jr.; and Albert Markland, shoemaker and buttonmaker were appointed as Axemen.
The Foreman also appointed an Executive Committee consisting of Edwin M. Turner, Charles K. Landis and George Pearson to purchase hooks, ladders, buckets, a fire extinguisher, chains crowbars and badges for the hats of the men and also to order a Hook and Ladder Truck. Mr. Turner was a lawyer from Pennsylvania with great ability in th music field. In 1865 he and his partner, William A. House, formed the first bank in Vineland under the name of House and Turner. And of course, Charles K. Landis the founder of Vineland was born in Philadelphia, practiced law and later became involved in real estate. He founded Vineland in 1861 at the young age of 28.
A fire station to house the equipment was erected on the south side of Landis Avenue between the Boulevard and Sixth Street. On October 19th, the new Hook and Ladder Truck, made by Ed. H. Hoffman and painted by Justus A. McGargle, was completed. This was a four wheeled frame with brackets on top to transport the ladders. If also carried buckets, crowbars, axes, hooks, picks, and torches if needed. When the truck was loaded if often weighed a great deal and to compensate for the extra weight there were iron protection bars on each side for the firemen to grasp along with the tongue or rope attached to the front.
The "Hook and Ladder Boys" paraded their machine on Thanksgiving Day. The town band marched musically behind the men as they walked with their heads high prominently displaying the new badges on their hats. These hats were made mostly of leather with iron or metal reveted segments and were designed similar to the modern hats worn today with the rearward extension of the brim. This attempted to prevent water from running down their backs. The crown was designed as a shield for the face against the sudden confrontation of smoke or fire. Overall, the hat protected the firemen from falling debris. The entire town came out and shared with the "Rough and Ready" men, as they called themselves, in the pride of their new machine.
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Brief History
History Written By Linda M. Kandle in 1976.
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