GREENOCK VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
THE HISTORY
PRIOR TO 1949, THE PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL BELL
WERE USED TO SUMMON HELP WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT. RESIDENTS, BOTH WOMEN
AND MEN WOULD GRAB LADDERS AND BUCKETS AND RUN TO THE FIRE, WHERE
WATER WAS DRAWN FROM CISTERNS OR PUMPED FROM WELLS AND BUCKETS
WERE FILLED AND PASSED HAND TO HAND TO THE MEN WHO WERE UP ON THE
LADDERS, AND DUMPED THE WATER ON THE FIRE. IN THOSE DAYS, MOST OF THE
FIRES WERE CARRIED BY SPARKS ON THE ROOF FROM OPEN GRATE FIRES.
SOMETIMES THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL AND SOMETIMES NOT.
IN THE 1930’S THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION FORMED IN TOWN CALLED THE
GREENOCK IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE, AND THEY RAISED FUNDS TO PURCHASE A FIRE
SIREN. THIS WAS BEFORE THE PRESENT SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS FORMED AND THE
SCHOOLS WERE IN THE ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE EACH
TOWN HAD ITS OWN SCHOOL DIRECTOR. AT THAT TIME PHILIP H. SANDMEYER WAS
THE DIRECTOR FROM GREENOCK. HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE IMPROVEMENT
LEAGUE AND HE GAVE PERMISSION FOR THE SIREN TO BE ERECTED ON TOP OF THE
OLD GREENOCK SCHOOL BUILDING. A SWITCH WAS INSTALLED ON THE FRONT OF
THE BUILDING. HENRY F. ROJOHN LIVED ACROSS FROM THE SCHOOL WHERE
WHITE’S LIVE TODAY. HE TOO WAS A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE AND ALSO HAD ONE
OF THE FEW TELEPHONES IN TOWN. WHEN A CALL CAME IN, EITHER BY TELEPHONE
OR IN PERSON, HE WOULD HURRY, AS FAST AS HE COULD GO, OVER TO THE
SCHOOL AND RANG THE SIREN. AREAS OF THE TOWN WERE DIVIDED BY NUMBERS
FROM 1 TO 7, AND HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BLOW THE SIREN AS MANY TIMES AS THE
NUMBER OF THE AREA OF THE TOWN WHERE THE FIRE WAS. WITH PEOPLE
RUNNING AND ASKING WHERE THE FIRE WAS, SOMETIMES HE LOST COUNT AND
THE SIREN WOULD BLOW MANY MORE TIMES THAN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO. FIRE
EQUIPMENT FROM BOSTON, BUENA VISTA, OR INDUSTRY WOULD BE CALLED.
THERE WAS ALWAYS TALK ABOUT FORMING A FIRE COMPANY, BUT NOTHING WAS
DONE UNTIL OCTOBER OF 1949. WITH SOME URGING BY A COUPLE OF LOCAL
RESIDENTS, HANDBILLS WERE PRINTED UP AND DELIVERED AROUND THE TOWN BY
WALTER BENTON, HIS SONS WALLACE & DARWIN AND MYSELF. THE MEETING WAS
HELD IN THE OLD LUTHERAN CHURCH ON LUTHERAN LANE LATER USED AS THE G/B
HIVE. A LARGE NUMBER OF MEN SHOWED UP FOR THE MEETING AND GREENOCK’S
FIRST FIRECOMPANY WAS FORMED. OFFICERS WERE ELECTED AND INCLUDED
WILLARD A. SCHAEFER, PRESIDENT; WALTER H. BENTON AS VICE-PRESIDENT;
LOUIS SERIANA AS SECRETARY; LLOYD EMANUEL AS TREASURER; JACK LITTLE AS
FIRE CHIEF; CHARLES CAMPBELL AS ASSISTANT CHIEF, AND DARIO PIGOZZI JR. AS
LIEUTENANT.
IN A FEW MONTHS A FORD F-7 PUMPER WAS PURCHASED FROM HOWE BROTHERS
FOR $12,000.00. IT ARRIVED IN GREENOCK IN APRIL OF 1950 AND THE FIRE COMPANY
HAD ABOUT $200.00 IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT.
THERE WAS NO FIRE HALL OR GARAGE AND AS JULIUS "MACK" MCKEE, A MEMBER
OF THE FIRE COMPANY HAD A DUMP TRUCK AND A GARAGE TO KEEP IT IN,
OFFERED THE USE OF HIS GARAGE TO KEEP THE TRUCK IN. HIS OFFER WAS
ACCEPTED AND THE TRUCK WAS HOUSED THERE. THE DOORS WERE THE SWINGING
TYPE ON HINGES AND THE NOSE OF THE TRUCK STUCK OUT OF THE GARAGE, WITH
THE DOORS ONLY PARTLY CLOSING. LATER THE TRUCK WAS MOVED TO FRANK
BOYD’S GARAGE UP ON THE HILL WHERE IT WAS DAMAGED WHEN ONE OF FRANK’S
TRUCKS BACKED INTO IT.
ON 24 APRIL 1950, A DEPOSIT WAS MADE FOR THE GROUND ON TOP OF THE
HILL, WHERE THE PRESENT HALL IS LOCATED, THE LOGIC BEING THAT AS MOST
OF THE OLDER BUILDINGS WERE DOWN THE HILL, THE TRUCK COULD GET THERE
MORE QUICKLY. THIS PIECE OF GROUND WAS MADE AVAILABLE DUE TO THE
DISASTROUS TORNADO THAT HIT GREENOCK IN JUNE OF 1944 WHEN MOST OF THE
HOUSES ALONG THE TOP OF THE HILL WERE DESTROYED.
THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY WAS CASPER KREUTZMAN AND WAS
DEEDED TO HIS SON AND DAUGHTER, HENRY F. KRFUTZMAN AND LOUISA A.M.
WESSEL IN 1925 AND 1926. IN 1931 HENRY KREUTZMAN DEEDED HIS SHARE TO HIS
SISTER, MRS. WESSEL WHO WITH HER HUSBAND SOLD THE PROPERTY TO THE FIRE
COMPANY.
AT THAT TIME THE COUNTY ROAD WAS LOCATED WHERE THE PRESENT
AMBULANCE GARAGE IS LOCATED. INCLUDED IN THIS DEED TO THE FIRE COMPANY
IS A SMALL ODD SHAPED PIECE OF GROUND ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE PRESENT
FIRE HALL WHICH WAS NEVER UTILIZED BY THE FIRE COMPANY.
LATER A GARAGE WAS BUILT HERE FOR THE PUMPER WITH A LOCAL RESIDENT
BEN BOWMAN LAYING THE BLOCK. WHERE YOU ARE SITTING TONIGHT THERE WAS
A DEEP HOLLOW, AND WHERE THE DOOR COMES FROM THE SIDE OF THE
AMBULANCE GARAGE, A CEMENT WALKWAY WAS BUILT TO THE FRONT OF THE
BUILDING. IF YOU STEPPED OFF THE WALK YOU WERE ON YOUR WAY TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE HOLLOW.
WHEN THIS GARAGE WAS BUILT, A SIREN WAS INSTALLED ON THE ROOF AND A
WIRE WAS RUN ACROSS THE HOLLOW TO FRED PRYOR’S HOME. WHEN A CALL
CAME IN FRED WOULD PUSH THE BUTTON TO SOUND THE ALARM.
THE FIRST FAIR WAS HELD ON 10 JULY THRU 14 JULY 1950, AT LOCUST GROVE PARK.
JAKE TRICKETT WAS CHAIRMAN AND LOUTS SERIANA WAS TREASURER. THE
PROFIT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR OF 1950 INCLUDING THE FAIR WAS $7,800.00.
IN AUGUST OF 1952 THE FIRE COMPANY PURCHASED THE OLD GREENOCK SCHOOL
AND MADE EXTENSIVE ALTERATIONS TO IT. IN JANUARY OF 1954, THE FIRE
COMPANY PURCHASED A RESUSITATOR FOR USE OF AREA RESIDENTS. IN APRIL OF
1954 THE FIRE COMPANY PURCHASED A USED UTILITY TRUCK WHICH WAS
EQUIPPED TO BE USED AS AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE.
AT THIS TIME WHEN AN AMBULANCE WAS NEEDED. A CALL WAS PLACED TO
MCKEESPORT HOSPITAL AND THEY WOULD SEND THE "MEAT WAGON" WHICH WAS
WHAT IT WAS NICKNAMED. IT LOOKED LIKE A BUTCHERS DELIVERY TRUCK.
SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND PEOPLE HAD TO WAIT THEIR
TURN. MANY TIMES, A RESIDENT OWNING A CAR WOULD BE ASKED TO TAKE HIS
NEIGHBOR TO THE HOSPITAL.
AS AN EXAMPLE, I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE FOLLOWING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DATED 23 DECEMBER 1906:
ABOUT 1 P.M. ON DECEMBER 22, 1906, A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE ENGINE ROOM OF THE PLANING MILL AND LUMBER YARD OF W.H. HEATH. IT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BUT THE CAUSE WAS NEVER DETERMINED.
MR. HEATH WAS IN HIS OFFICE IN THE SAME BUILDING, TALKING ON THE TELEPHONE, WHEN THE FIRE STARTED. IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES THE HEAT WAS SO INTENSE A PERSON COULD NOT ENTER THE SECOND STORY. IN A HALF HOUR THE ENTIRE BUILDING WAS DOOMED. THE FIRE ALSO TRAVELED TO THE STABLE AND DESTROYED IT BUT THE HORSE AND WAGONS WERE SAVED. A 50 POUND BOX OF DYNAMITE AND CAPS WERE REMOVED IN THE NICK OF TIME FROM ONE OF THE BUILDINGS OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE SERIOUS DISASTER.
THE DESKS AND IMPORTANT PAPERS WERE SAVED.
SAMUEL BICKERSTAFF ALMOST LOST HIS LIFE IN THE FIRE. HE HAD GONE INTO THE BURNING BUILDING TO ASSIST IN THE SAVING OF GOODS AND CANE NEAR BEING SUFFOCATED BY SMOKE.
THE STABLE OF JACOB EMANUEL, WHICH WAS ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE MILL, WAS ALSO DESTROYED. EVERYTHING ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE MILL WAS ALSO DESTROYED. THIS CONSISTED PRINCIPALLY OF MACHINERY, TOOLS, MOULDINGS ETC.
IT WAS ONLY BY HARD WORK ON THE PART OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN THAT THE RESIDENCE OF MR. HEATH, WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED AND THE HOUSE OF MR. EMANUEL WERE SAVED. ALL THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS WERE TAKEN FROM THE EMANUEL HOUSE AND WERE CONSIDERABLY DAMAGED. HAD THE FLAMES COMMUNICATED TO THE HEATH RESIDENCE, THE ENTIRE CORNER MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONSUMED, INCLUDING EIGHT HOUSES AND THE P. & L.E. STATION. THE LOSS HAS NOT SEEN ESTIMATED BUT THE INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER ONE THIRD, IT IS STATED.
MR. HEATH BEGAN HIS BUSINESS IN 1895 AND MET WITH GOOD SUCCESS FROM THE START. THE FIRE WAS THE BIGGEST IN THE HISTORY OF GREENOCK.
MR. HEATH WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE FROM THE EIGHTH DISTRICT OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY AND EXPECTS TO LEAVE FOR HARRISBURG IN A FEW DAYS. MR. HEATH DESIRES TO THANK THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN FOR THE VALUABLE ASSISTANCE RENDERED, AS IT WAS ONLY BY THE FAITHFUL WORK OF THE PEOPLE THAT HIS HOME WAS SAVED.
IN 1950 THERE WERE 122 MEMBERS
IN 1951 THERE WERE 112 MEMBERS
IN 1952 THERE WERE 103 MEMBERS
IN 1962 THERE WERE 96 MEMBERS
IN 2001 THERE WERE 37 MEMBERS
IN 2002 THERE ARE 45 MEMBERS
IN 2008 THERE ARE 33 MEMBERS
IN 2011 THERE ARE 62 MEMBERS
THIS FIRE COMPANY HAS ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND
COMMUNITY PROJECTS. ONE EXAMPLE WAS IN 1965-1966, WHEN GREENOCK WAS
125 YEARS OLD. THE FIRE COMPANY CLEANED UP THE OLD GREENOCK CEMETERY
AND PLANNED AND HELD A CELEBRATION IN THE CEMETERY. SINCE THEN THE
TOWNSHIP HAS KEPT IT IN GOOD SHAPE.
IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THE PRESENT OFFICERS AND MEMBERS
OF BOTH THE FIRE COMPANY AND THE AUXILIARY FOR CONTINUING THE SERVICE
AND TRADITION BEGAN BACK IN 1949 FOR THE RESIDENTS OF GREENCOK. WILLARD
SCHAEFER, THE FIRST PRESIDENT, WAS A COUSIN OF MINE. HE DIED OF LUNG
CANCER IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA IN 1962.
This was the speech made by Ronald Morgenstern at the 40th Anniversary Banquet of the Greenock Volunteer Fire Company on November 4th 1989. It was scanned from his original notes.
Courtesy of the Elizabeth Township Historical Society and Ronald Morgenstern.
To be Continued...........
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Updated 02/25/2011 03:34 PM