Other Newspaper Articles of Interest

Disclaimer: The statements below are the expressed opinions of the facts obtained through research of documents, pictures and personal interviews. These are the facts as best could be gathered, actual situations could have varied from what is reported. To our knowledge, no false statements are included in these documents.

Fayetteville Fire Company Disbanded

In 1874 the fire company folded its hooks and ladders and quietly packed them away, disbanded, gone where the woodbine twineth. We are sorry that this organization has not received more encouragement. A town the size of Fayetteville could and should support an organization of this character. (No information of when this organization started could be found. The story was copied from an early article of the Fayetteville Democrat, no date available.)

Fire Razes U of A Band Building

March 29, 1963 - The blaze started about 4:30 and was fed by exploding containers of paint thinner which were stored in the basement of the building. The University band's instruments, uniforms and equipment were destroyed in the fire. Damage estimated at $50,000.00 to $60,000.00 no point of origin was known when this article was written. (article from the Northwest Arkansas Times)

Move Day for Central Fire Station

September 4, 1964, Marked an end of an era. Fayetteville's Central Fire Station built in 1911 was torn down to make room for parking facilities. The building was owned by McIlroy Bank. A new central Fire Station was built prior to the demolition. Friday, July 10, 1964, was moving day for the Fayetteville Fire Department to a new four bay, two story Central Fire Station. Four fire engines and a chief's car are housed at this new station. The station has a shop area, chief's office downstairs, living area, kitchen and training room upstairs with two fire poles. (article from the Northwest Arkansas Times)

City Fireman's New Snorkle Draws a Crowd from Three States

The Snorkel has a 75 foot platform, 1000 p.m. pump. When purchased it was the only one of its kind in the state. Firefighters and Fire buffs from three states came to see the modern piece of firefighting equipment. In 1988 this truck was replaced by a 1988 E-One 80ft., 1500gpm aerial ladder truck. Harrison, AR. Fire Department purchased the Snorkel, they recently sold it and its whereabouts are now unknown. When it was purchased there were only 38 Snorkel Trucks in existence. The Snorkel was used at various large fires in the City limits of Fayetteville as well as surrounding cities. It was credited with containing a fire in Springdale that consumed at least a half-block of the downtown business area. The Snorkel was also used in Stillwell, Oklahoma but no additional information is available at this time. (11-12-64 N. W. Ark. Times)

Volunteer Bucket Brigade Hard-Working Firefighters

Not so long ago Fayetteville's Fire Department consisted of a fire brigade. George Albright was fire chief here just after the Civil War, and his volunteer workers fought some big fires with their meager equipment. One of the worst was probably the fire of 1894 which started from a wisp of hay, killed a workman and threatened to consume a block, says a story in a 1936 issue of the Fayetteville Dailey Democrat.

The first attempt at modernization came in 1897 when a horse-drawn fire wagon was obtained to the pride of the department and the relief of City residents. Frank Mayes was fire chief at this time and Jim Carlisle drove the wagon for about 20 years.
The Fire Department was made up entirely of volunteers, who took their work seriously. They engaged in tournaments at Joplin, Mo. and Springfield, Mo. and Fort Smith, AR. and won numerous awards. Leon Smith of the local force established a world's record at Neosho, Mo for a 50- yard run and ladder climb.

One of the more serious fires of this period was that which destroyed Col. J. T. Barlow's home in 1909. This house had been built with the timbers of the old Baptist Church as foundations, so its loss involved sentiment as well as financial misfortune.

The old Van Winkle hotel burned in 1913, and the Democrat lost a number of valuable files in the fire. In 1911 a whole block on lower Dickson Street was destroyed at heavy loss.

The old fire wagon resigned its romantic career in 1917 when it was converted into a dray and the first of the department's fire trucks went into use. (From a 1960 N.W. Ark. Times newspaper article.)

Change In Fire Dept. May 5, 1917

C. O. Hansard has succeeded C. S. Duggans as chief of the fire department. Driver Jim Carlislehas resigned but his successor has not been named. The entire volunteer fire department has quit and new members of the department have been named by the new chief.

Mayor Allan M. Wilson is solely and altogether responsible for this condition. And, as much as we regret to say it, we cannot refrain from the expressed opinion that by his action Mayor Wilson has greatly jeopardized property interests of the City, he has over-ridden public sentiment and he has shown himself supinely intolerant of legitimate influence. The least that Mayor Wilson could have done in this matter would have been to have postponed definite settlement of the row which he himself precipitated until the heat of passion and animus in the situation might have abated. But he did not do this.

This is what he did do. Shortly after the council had convened he announced that he had decided to disregard a petition signed by practically every member of the volunteer fire department asking the reappointment of Mr. Duggans as chief. He then announced the appointment of Mr. Hansard as chief and then forthwith he had Mr. Hansard sworn in by the police judge. Mr. Hansard was then called on to announce his appointments. He said that he "understood" that the old fire department "had resigned" and in his new list only one of those old members was named.

The mayor then told the council that the appointive power was solely in him and that the council did not have the right to reject. However, he magnanimously conceded the council the right to be heard on the matter with the knowledge that whatever they said would avail nothing, that the appointment had in fact been made and was in fact in effect. A number of large property owners present, whose security rests in large measure on adequate fire protection for which they now pay a tax levy that is admittedly illegal and not subject to legal enforcement, had the satisfaction of learning that their advice was not wanted. Members of the council, a majority of whom it might well be presumed were against any change in the fire department, were plainly told they had no legal right of expression and that no other kind of right would for one moment be considered.

Mayor Wilson displaced the old chief and displaced, altogether by his own act, the whole volunteer fire department; he named a new chief and through his new chief named an altogether new department. By his own act alone he cited a law as authority for his act and he, himself, interpreted this law. The council, as well as the fire department and the property owners, was ignored and substantially rebuked.

The Democrat has no personal interest in this trouble except as a taxpayer and as the public medium of expression. Personally, the writer is as friendly with Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hansard as with any person connected with the old fire department. But public safety, right and decency have always been paramount policies of this paper and we do not regard this incident as deserving of exception.

The ruthless dismissal of the experienced volunteer fire-fighters that have rendered Fayetteville such obvious service for the past several years is a travesty on public administration, and the manner in which this end was accomplished was a reproach to democracy.

And more than all this it evidenced an almost inhuman lack of gratitude. The volunteer fire-fighters have been on the job through winter and summer. Without compensation, they have time and time again risked their lives in the performance of a service to this community. They have answered calls at all times of day and night leaving their businesses and their homes whenever their volunteer duty was needed. And they have come out of practically every fire with ruined clothes, with valuable time lost and weary from physical strain. Chief Duggans may lack executive ability, he may not be competent - or again he may not have these short comings - but there is no disputing the fact that he kept together in this City one of the best volunteer companies in the country and there is no disputing the fact that it was a distinct tribute to him that his company desired that he be retained as their chief. Also, there is no disputing the fact that this company had a right to be heard in the selection of their chief; and there can be no criticism of their action since Mayor Wilson has said from the start that he would not consider the department's petition and has frankly stated the department could resign if dissatisfied. It might even be said that he, from the first has invited their resignations, and at the last virtually declared vacancies without even formal opportunity of choice for the old department.

In all probability Mayor Wilson acted within his legal authority in this matter. We do not dispute this because we do not regard the legal phases involved as essential. This much we know; that the fire department has made good, that it is operated by volunteer firemen and maintained altogether by volunteer tax revenue. And knowing this much, we know that precipitate and arbitrary action by the mayor or anybody else is unfortunate, ill-advised and inexcusable.

News article from "The Fayetteville Daily Democrat", dated Saturday, May 5, 1917.