| 8/16/2005 Former Aurora volunteer fireman Eldon Higby compiled an account of major events in the history of the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department through department records and Hamilton County newspapers.
The account begins with the organization of the fire department in 1889 and continues through 1929.
March 21, 1889, a group of citizens met to organize a fire department of Aurora. The first recorded fire was on March 25, 1889 when a straw stack at Moore and Broadben Breeding Stables caught fire. The probable cause was listed as boys smoking cigarettes.
The constitution and by-laws of the fire department were approved in March of 1889.
Organization was completed April 18 and the temporary officers were elected to the same positions. The occupations of the first firemen included: one insurance man, four printers, one in hardware, one butcher, one deputy county clerk, one medical student, one carpenter and two furniture dealers (one of which was also the undertaker).
Soon after organizing the fire department it was decided to organize a hook and ladder company and members of the department were given the opportunity to resign and volunteer for the new company. In those days, new members were charged a $2 initiation fee and dues were 10 cents. Members were fined 25 cents for missing a meeting or a fire without an excuse.
In 1892, it was decided to have a Fireman's Ball and a motion to assess each fireman $1.00 to help defray expenses was overruled.
Of interest - On August 9, 1893 a fire broke out in a small barn belonging to D. M. White and Son near the depot (just west of 9th street). "On this occasion the fire department did some good work, making a run of 10 blocks and throwing water in less than 15 minutes. The barn and crib were a total loss," according to a newspaper account.
On September 19, 1898, a special meeting was called to re-organize the fire department and William Brown was elected chief and William Hageman assistant chief.
Higby's account says running teams were the vogue in those early days. "This was a team who practiced dragging the hose cart a certain distance, rolling out hose, making connection and having water flowing in the fastest times. They even sent running teams to the state conventions," Higby said.
On July 1, 1901, the fire chief was authorized to order uniforms for the 25 Aurora firemen at a cost of $10 per uniform. That price was later amended to $13.50 per uniform and included pants, coat and cap. The uniforms arrived and were paid for on February 22, 1902.
On February 2, 1904 the department voted to arrange for an electric light for the secretary's office.
The fire department agreed to promote a movie in the opera house in May of 1904. The department paid the rent and sold tickets to receive 40 percent of the receipts. On June 10, acknowledged receipts, after expenses, totaled $22.42 from the movie.
On February 5, 1907, the fire department voted to have the chief of police sound the fire alarm with one long blast on the steam whistle and one short blast for the number of wards. The steam whistle was located at the Aurora Electric Plant where electricity was generated by steam power and a by-product of that was piping the steam around the square to heat many business places.
In May of 1907, it was decided to split the department in half for the purpose of answering fire alarms. The south side of the square, extending east and west, was designated as the dividing line. A hose cart was to be housed in each district. In October of 1907, it was voted to have the city place a telephone in each cart house, with the line connected to the city water office.
On May 5, 1910 a motion was approved to have a division of the fire department funds on hand and $5 was to be paid to each member in good standing. The department voted to have a committee meet with the Aurora City Council in June of 1910 to ask for a new hook and ladder truck.
Higby said during the early years, various places were used for fire department meetings. Sites included the office of secretary Coykendall, an attorney, as well as Union Hall, the opera house and city hall.
On June 3, 1919, a committee was appointed to investigate the cost of a "brass pole" in the event the alarm of fire should sound during the fire department's monthly meeting and firemen could slide down to the truck and shorten time of arrival to the scene of a fire. The pole was never ordered.
In a vote on February 2, 1926, the department determined they would not answer to alarms while the city was using the fire whistle for numerous other events such as time of the day, curfew, calling police, etc. The department asked that the city furnish each fireman with a telephone and use the telephone for sounding the alarm.
Hearsay - Higby said that rumor has it that at one time the city refused to allow expenses for firemen to attend the state convention, so the men informed Mayor Charles Ronin that they were all going on their own and that it would be up to the city council to handle any fire calls. "The story has it that Mayor Ronin sat at the city hall all day expecting a fire call."
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