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Facing
the possibility of fighting fires during the early years of Crestline, it
was the women who came up with a suggestion: "Why not put big tubs in
the ground at the corner of their homes. Wooden spouting on the house would
catch the rain water, and it would run into the so-called cistern. Then we
would have plenty of water to use in the house and to fight fires too."
This solved the
problem of a water source, but also to be considered was getting to the
tops of homes. After consideration it was decided by building homes
one-story high, with generally a good shed or summer kitchen in the rear,
they could reach the tops of the houses easily with a small ladder. In some
cases, the rain barrel was also used as a means of getting on top of main
part of the house.
Later, the
settlers banded together for mutual fire protection into what was called a
"Bucket Brigade." When Crestline had grown to the size of a small
village, every householder and storekeeper had a bucket hanging in a handy
place in case of a fire. At the sound of the first alarm, residents grabbed
the bucket and hurried to the scene of the fire. Everyone formed a line
from the cistern or well and passed the buckets with water from hand to
hand, and after they had been emptied on the flames, the buckets were returned
for refilling by another line of men. Each man had his personal mark on the
bucket which was returned to him after the fire was under control.
As the village
grew and became more scattered, the mutual fire fighters could no longer
handle the situation. The inn keepers, storekeepers and other businessmen
could not close their places of business and go to all fires, so a
citizen's meeting was called to discuss means of fighting fires more
systematically. Here it was agreed that Crestline would purchase its first
fire engine.
The
man-powered fire wagon, pictured in its day. It was later
refurbished and is
still used in parades and for shows.
The result was
that the village bought its "Relief Engine No. 1." The engine was
operated by 12 men on each side operating the handles up and down. Some old
timers claimed that with 25 good men on the handles, the engine could throw
water farther than the old steam engines of that time. Records show the
relief engine was purchased around 1858 or 1859, and was used until once
again the quantity of water needed made its appearance.
The need for this
water was resolved by the construction of large cisterns in different parts
of the village. These were filled by rains which fell on nearby buildings
and were piped to the cisterns. Then the fire engine was taken to the
cistern and used to pump water out with a hose. With the advent of the fire
engine, men were needed to haul the engine to the fire and to man the
pumps. It took a dozen men to pump the engine and furnish enough to throw a
stream of water on the fire.
The records do not
show the types or size of the engine, but it does show after the building
of the water works, that several efforts were made to sell one or the other
of the engines. No one purchased the old Relief No. 1 built in 1858, and it
is still in the possession of the Fire Department.
Many dedicated
citizens served on the Fire Department in the early days. Each year, a man
was elected by members of the department and appointed by the Mayor to
serve as head of the Fire Department and was known as the Engineer instead
of the Chief.
One of the major
problems was getting the engine to the fire because many times the heavy
machine could not be pulled through the muddy streets. Generally members of
the department put the engine on the sidewalks, and even transporting it
this way could be difficult because the sidewalks were very irregular in size
and construction. A second engine was purchased to help cover the necessary
mileage.
Rapidly the
population of Crestline increased and the need for more efficient fire
protection again became evident. A town water works was considered so water
could be piped into hydrants and further forced through hoses. Citizens
agreed this would make a quicker means of fighting fires, but was a large
undertaking for the small town, and a barn and two fire engines recently
purchased had already proved a heavy drain of the town's finances. But, the
people of the town were determined to stay up with the times, and figured
that if the people of other towns could afford a water system, so could
Crestline.
The
Germanian Hose Company of the Crestline Fire Department donated their
fighting gear for a photo in 1910. The are: Top row, Henry McMahon,
Peter
Simmermacher, Philip
Foltz, Elmer Perman, Edward Gresmer, John Minich;
middle row, Charles Fidler, Jacob Minich, Chief John Hoffman, John Lewis,
Fred Smith;
bottom row, Charles Helfrich, Andrew Hoffman
A
committee was commissioned to find sufficient water supply for the village.
The forced water necessitated the use of hydrants and the hoses had to be
transported to the fire, so there had to be hose carts. Since the carts
would not propel themselves a company had to be organized.
The first hose
cart company organized with Charley Packer as Chief and George Foltz as
foreman. Faldine Rettig, Peter Foltz, Peter Aul, Fred Greter, Dan Hartman,
John Guthlin, Adam Neff, George Helfrich were members and all active fire
fighters.
Packer took fire
fighting seriously. And he trained all of his sons to become fireman. Many
people can remember when all four of his sons could be seen at the same
fire working to get it under control. Also everyone knew that if you saw
Charley Parker, the chief at the fire, he surely would be wearing his
fireman hat, for it has been said he never could go to a fire without his
hat. He would even go home first to get his hat before going to a fire.
Crestline now had
two fire hose companies. One was called the Dutch Hose Cart Company and was
located on East Main St. and the other was located on East Bucyrus St. in a building over the creek just east of
the Eagles home. The latter answered the purpose of both engine house and
City Jail.
With the two hose
companies, a keen rivalry sprung up between them as to the merits of the
respective companies. As a result, contest called "Tournaments"
were arranged and for several years there was racing, hitching the hose to
hydrants, throwing the water to the highest point, and all the other
activities which make up a first class contest. At the same time other towns
were doing the same thing, and it did not take long for these towns to make
challenges to others and it became a state rivalry. They have continued to
the present, although the old hose companies have long since ceased to
function.
Crestline's
first severe fire was in September, 1859, when flames broke out in the
baggage room of the Pittsburgh , Ft. Wayne and Chicago Railroad. It was before the
town had any fire department, and the building was soon reduced to ashes
with a loss of about $11,000. The most sever fire was in September, 10
years later, when the block from Continental Hotel to Bucyrus St. was
destroyed. The fire broke out about 2 a.m. on
September 13, and started in the
Franklin
House. The total loss was about $75,000. To help battle the blaze, the
Galion Fire Department was loaded on a special train and hurried to
Crestline to give valuable assistance.
Crestline had one
of the very fastest hose cart teams, because the Pennsylvania Railroad
shops were located here, providing a class of men who delighted in any sort
of excitement. Nearly every one of the men participating in the tournaments
for the next 20 years were shop men. The water works plant flourished and
Crestline hose companies, fire companies and hook and ladder companies
participated in most tournaments in surrounding towns. On some
occasions, village council provided the funds, but more often a
subscription was taken from merchants and others interested in the
tournaments. Crestline companies were successful in winning many prizes,
and in that manner kept the interest with the "fans" who readily
contributed to the tournament.
1949
- 1950
Crestline Fire Department
First Row
(Left to Right): John Walter (one of first two regulars), Paul Jeffrey,
Jack Hauck,
Fire Chief Rube Saum, Paul Horning, John Schieber, Paul Beck
Second Row (Left to Right): Lester Shearer, Walter Levy, John McCamon, Dave
Corbin,
Milton Klingle, Mickey Cairns, Jim Hines
When the
tournaments were held in Crestline, Thoman St. was prepared from Union St. to John St. for the hose companies and hook and ladder
companies to race. East Bucyrus St. took care of the fire engines competing
for the prizes. The streets were prepared a week in advance to get them in
the best of shape. They were rolled and scraped a number of times. Those
were history making days, for there were always large numbers of companies
of different towns to compete and each, to be sure, thought it was the
fastest and best company. However, this was to be decided after the contest
were over, for in those days, the best runner was not always the best man,
because the tournament was always "the day after the night before."
By this time Crestline
had four companies: The Engine Company, Wheelhouse Company, Smuggler
Four-wheel-hose Company, a Senior Hook and Ladder Company, and later a
Junior Hook and Ladder Company.
The "Tournaments" evolved into a yearly convention and, in 1874,
the fire companies of 26 northwestern Ohio counties formed an organization known as
the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Firemen's Association. The organization is
now the oldest firemen's organization in the North American continent and
celebrated its 100th year of existence in 1974. Crestline Fire Department
is a charter member of the association.
In 1889,
the Fire Companies were moved to the new City Hall and united. Crestline
bought its first motorized equipment in 1910, and International truck which
was used to haul hose. In 1927, the village purchased its first pumper, a
500-gallon-per-minute American LaFrance Cosmopolitan and, in 1932, with the
aid of several surrounding townships purchased a 500-gallon-a-minute
Seagrave pumper to furnish protection to these townships.
The E.
Main St. Fire Dept. in 1895 was know as "The Main
Street Dutch."
Pictured with their hose cart are, standing: Philip Foltz, Charles Helfrich,
George Helfrich, Fred Fidler, Gottlieb Gehrisch, Fred and Gus Gehrisch,
Fred Klinger, and Dan Hagg, Sr.; on top of cart, the nozzle men, Jacob
Minich and Bill Fidler.
Henry
Gehrisch and John Walter were Crestline's first full-time firemen and were
appointed in February, 1928. On January 1, 1948 , Henry Gehrisch, after 20 years service as a
volunteer and full-time fireman, retired on a pension because of ill
health. John Walter after 37 years as a volunteer and full-time fireman,
retired on a pension on August 1, 1950 .
John
H. Walter
In fireman's
uniform -- one of the first two regular fireman for Crestline , Ohio .
Hired in 1932 and retired in 1950
Born July 12, 1885 Died May 22, 1959
Later the
Department could boast of three full-time firemen. Jack Hauck was appointed
June
6, 1946 , after serving as
a volunteer for 12 years; Homer (Bud) Rhodes was named to the department on October 16, 1950 . Raymond Leiss was appointed December 16, 1951 . The department at that time consisted of many
volunteers including W.E. (Mickey) Cairns , now retired; John Scheiber, who had 50
years of service; Leslie Sherer, deceased; Paul Jeffrey, deceased; Dave
Corbin, Harry Rhodes, Robert Hauck, Robert Miller, Paul Beck, Robert
Blaising, Charlton (Curly) Gekler, Harry Keplinger, Richard Gehrisch, Bruno
Moleno and Eugene Dull, all retired.
Ronald
(Rube) Saum was appointed Chief of the Department December 30, 1946 , and was promoted as the first full-time Chief October 1, 1956 .
The Crestline
Department was one of the first to employ Fognozzles to surpress fires,
first to use self-contained oxygen masks, first to use the pumper at the
scene of a fire instead of at the hydrant, first department in this section
of the state to receive T & I fire service training and first to aid
emergency rescue service in the department.
In 1962, the
funeral directors of Crestline discontinued ambulance service in the
community and after much debate and discussion by council, Chief Saum
persuaded it to purchase the used van which the department converted to a
rescue truck. In spite of the objection of some members of council, as well
as members of the department, it has proven to be one of the most useful
services of the Fire Department. The department, with the help of federal
matching emergency highway safety and health funds, was able to purchase
two new fully-equipped rescue trucks in 1971.
Some 24 members of
the department have received training under the T & I rescue and victim
care. Of the 24, nine are women. They now assist in the operation of the
rescue vans. Another first was the certification of the rescue trucks by
the Ohio Department of Health.
In
1972, the department converted a 1962 Seagrave pumper from a gasoline to a
diesel engine -- increasing its life and efficiency. An American LaFrance
diesel pumper was also purchased. In 1973, the townships purchased a
Chevrolet, one-ton, four-wheel drive, self-contained unit to be used to
extinguish grass and trash fires.
Over the
years, records have not been preserved and some of the members who have
served as chief include Fitz, Phillip Johnson, Thomas White, L.P. Hesser,
Grandpa Charles Packer, Mitch Weiber, E.J. Cox, J.A. Cover, David Best,
J.D. Barney, Charles Heldrich, George Dielman, Raymond Swarer, and Homer
Swirtz.
1975
From
Left to Right - Captain Jack Hauck, Albert Walker, William White, John
Sheiber, David Bauer, Rick Weisman, Joe Wyant, Bruce Dotson, Bill Gall,
Donald Jeffrey, Harold Mills, Pat Mills, A.J. John Barker, Jack Leiss,
Chief Ronald J. Saum (Rube)
The
department, in 1975, consisted of six paid men: Chief Saum, Roy B. Dotson,
captain; Raymond Leiss, David Bauer, Bill Gall and Rick Weisman. On the
list of volunteers were John Albert Barker, Jr., Floyd Forshaw, Donald
Jeffery, John Jeffery, Robert Jeffery, John Scheiber, Marion White, William
White, Albert Walker, Robert White, Terry Miner, Joe Wyant, Harold Mills,
Patricia Mills, Jim Corbin, Terry Weisman, James Wyant, Ralph Petry, Robert
Barker, Nancy Cowin, Ann Jenkins, Bonnie Kemle, Lola Nazak, Priscilla
Schwam, Jean Bray, Cheri Barker and Marilyn Weisman.
Chief
Saum retired on January 1, 1976, after 33 and half
years of service and David Bauer was appointed chief.
Late
70's with 1973 American La France Pumper
Front
Row (Left to Right): Bret Ruhe, Robert White, Mike Weisman, Mike Christini,
Relda Gekler, Steve Shade, Rick Biglin, William L. Sharp, Karl
Schwechheimer, Vicki Lash
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