All of the members volunteered their time. It was decided that the fire department would consist of forty active firemen. Phil Brand kept the ball rolling by donating the land for a building to house the truck. For the next few months it was kept in Louis’ gas station. All of this happened so fast that no preparation had been made to house the “new truck”. The engine could hardly be called new, but the price was right. The 1922 American LaFrance was purchased for five hundred dollars. The open cab was not offering any protection from the elements that day, which made for an extremely long and cold ride home. The men took turns driving the truck back from Batavia, all wrapped up in blankets. They had a carnival, dances at the community hall and had ice cream socials to raise money to buy they truck.Ī crew drove to Batavia to take possession of their first piece of firefighting equipment. There was no contract with the Town of Clay no means of support except the money which they would raise for themselves. They unanimously agreed to purchase the truck. “Mister, I think you just found your buyers.ĭon’t go away, I’ll be right back!” With those words, Ken hurried home and called four other members. “Will you sell it to us?” “I’ll sell it to anybody” “A 1922 American LaFrance“, proclaimed the stranger. During the course of conversation it developed that the man was in a hurry to get to Canton, NY to make an appointment with some prospective buyers of a fire engine he was selling. On March 12, Ken was helping out at his friend Tony Louis’s gas station when a man pulled in with car trouble. They now had to figure out how and where to obtain a fire truck.Īs their search for a fire engine progressed, fate stepped in and lent a friendly hand. For several months the only function of the new department was to meet occasionally and hold a ‘public hearing’ with the Town of Clay. Their first meeting was held in a cow barn with fifteen new members in attendance. They were shortly joined by another half-dozen eager men, who all paid twenty dollar dues. The first five members (Ken Brand, Ed Harke, Sr., Paul Marshall, Ed Melvin, and Lymon Melvin) formed the nucleus. Ken went from house to house looking for men interested in becoming members. Ken threw his hat that crookedly sat atop his head on the ground as hard as he could and proclaimed, “By God, we’re gonna get a fire department here!”. It just wouldn’t run and they had to push it to the fire. The Clay Fire Department arrived with their old truck, but when they arrived, the men were practically carrying the fire truck instead of the fire truck carrying them. The Liverpool Fire Department stopped at the town line, telling Ken that they could not cross because they did not have the insurance coverage. He waited for the Clay and Liverpool Fire Department to arrive. On that cold and damp November day, Ken found himself standing helplessly watching his friend’s garage burn to the ground. got the ball rolling on November 9, 1947, the day Lyman Melvin’s garage burned down. It is either a wife behind a man, or something that gets them fired up before they move”, recalls Eileen.Ī gentleman named Ken Brand, Sr. “You know men, they have good ideas, but it takes a push to get some action. But unfortunately, nothing came out of these particular conversations. There were many unscheduled meetings held in the snack bar, where Ken Brand, Sr., Mr. A lot of comments revolved around the need of a fire department, because their only protection was an old fire truck stationed in Clay. Open fields all belonging to Philip Brand.Įlaine Lewis recalled many conversations by the locals visiting the snack bar. Lewis’ snack bar and garage sat on the nothwest corner. Carl’s Tavern was located on the southwest corner, while Mr. On the southeast corner sat an open field(which became Suburban Propane). The northeast corner was a house owned by Mr. Past Deputy Chief Steve Zaferakis, Chairmain, Historic Commitee (2017) An encyclopedia set may be more applicable! Enjoy, and thank you to everyone that has made the Moyers Corners Fire Department what it is today. The department hopes to one day release a book for all to enjoy, however our current "word" document is over 450 pages long at this point. For now, enjoy a preview of what will become "A Comprehensive History of the MCFD." If you have anything to add, please let us know. Pictures will also be added in the near future. We have also transcribed all of the historic documents found lurking in the darkest corners of our fire stations. We have extracted every news article written about the Moyers Corners Fire Department. In honor of 65 years of service to our community, we have created a working document of our rich and colorful history.
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