History:
Franklin Fire Department Badge
James O'Donnell's Badge
courtesy of Joe O'Donnell
Franklin Fire Department Badge
Courtesy of Anthony R. Guzzo - 2
Franklin Fire Department Medal
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Franklin
Fire Company
Mary St. & Concord Ave.Chester's first
Fire Company,
Instituted November 20, 1867; incorporated February 22, 1869
First steam fire engine purchased in 1874
Mascot (1925): "Ned", an eskimo puppy named for
Ned McCarey
"I have a newspaper article from the Chester Times, dated Wednesday, January 3rd, 1883. It lists the newly elected officers of the Franklin for the year. They are:"
- 10
President- John L Hoffman
Vice President- Edwin F Baker
Secretary- Benjamin D Ayers Jr.
Financial Secretary- William Newell
Treasurer, George L Horning
Solicitor- O.C. McClure
Chief Engineer- Thomas Brooks
Assistant Engineers-Edward Baker and Joseph Bardsley
Investigating Committee- Edward Baker, O.C. McClure, and Isaiah Newell
Auditing Committee- William Slemons Jr., Samuel Phillips, and Thomas Brooks
Directors for six months-James Hasin, William M. Ford, William McCully, William E. Wood, Thomas Morris, R.H. Henderson, Edward Baker, Frederick Dye, and William H. Williams.
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| Known
Members: |
| Name |
Dates |
Position |
Comments/Recollections |
| ALLEN, John B.
"Doc" |
c. 1870 - 1925 - ? |
|
Had been
an active member for 55 years in 1925 |
| AGOSTINELLI, Dominic
- 6 |
|
|
d. 1989 |
| AYARS, Ben Jr. |
|
President |
[Picture] |
| BONACQUISTI, Emilio
- 2 |
c. 1965 |
Asst. Director of Rescue Squad |
|
| BONACQUISTI, Vince
- 2 |
|
Adviser Franklin
Ambulance Service 1975. Director of Rescue Squad c.
1965 |
|
| CREILLY, Bill - 3 |
|
|
|
| DeNOFIO, Salvidore -
8 |
|
|
"My
father, who passed away in 1993 was a very active member of this Fire Company up until his
death. This included being the secretary and taking care of business for at least the last
10-15 years of his life." |
| ELIA, Joseph - 2 |
|
Foreman c. 1965 |
|
| ELLIS, Joseph
(Buddy) |
|
|
One of
the oldest members |
| FUSCO, Joseph
(Sonny) - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| GUZZO, Anthony R.
Guzzo |
1964 - 1967 |
|
|
| HIORTH, George |
|
Driver 1925 |
|
| JIMISON, Robert |
|
|
[December 4, 1945 news article] |
| JOHNSON, James
Johnson |
|
|
Currently
Deputy Commissioner |
| LAMBERT, Sr.,
Raymond "Count" |
|
|
Also
transferred to the new "Paid" department until his retirement in 1993. |
| McCAREY, Edward |
|
|
President
c. 1903 |
| McCAREY, Ned |
|
|
A former
president 1925 Mascot
(1925): "Ned", an eskimo puppy named for Ned McCarey |
| McCAREY, Timothy |
|
|
President
December 1945 [December
4, 1945 news article] |
| McCLELLAND, Thomas |
|
|
Later a Chester Fire Chief |
| MacDONALD, Joseph |
|
|
Later a
Chief of the paid department until his death |
| MORELLI, Carl - 2 |
|
|
President
c. 1965 |
| O'DONNELL, Sr. James
- 7 |
|
|
"James
O'Donnell, Sr. of Franklin St. above 3rd was fourth on the roll of Franklin Fire Co.
This was confirmed in his obituary in the Chester Times on Mar. 18, 1915. He married
Bridget Duffy in 1871. He and his family were listed in the 1880 census as living at 406
Concord Ave. His O'Donnell ancestors living in Del. Co. still have have his badge #4"
Joseph O'Donnell |
| PERRARA, Mario - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| PILEGGI, Tony - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| PITECCA, Johnny - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| RILEY, Herbert L. -
6 |
1946 - ? |
|
|
| SCARPATO, Frankie - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| SHIVELEY, Harold - 2 |
|
|
Became
2nd Asst. Chief in 1967 |
| SMITH, Bob - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| STACKENI, Tom - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| SWANSON, Bernard
"Stump" - 4 |
|
|
"My
father was one of the many men who risked their lives at the Wade Dump Fire, and for that he paid the ultimate
price. He died of cancer in 1979." - Carmella Swanson, daughter |
| SWANSON, BoBo - 2 |
|
|
|
| SWANSON, Donald - 2 |
|
|
Vice
President c. 1965? |
| SWANSON, Mary - 4 |
|
EMT |
|
| TENUTO, John - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| THOMAS, Joe - 5 |
|
|
[Picture] |
| TOWNSEND, Harry - 9 |
|
|
|
| WEIGAND, Elmer |
Member since 1920 |
|
Assistant
chief since January 1940 Became chief January 3, 1944
"Elmer was my grandfather and used
to tell my father and myself stories about fires. I believe he was a past chief.
He used to tell us that he remembered being a boy in Chester and seeing a boardwalk
for side walks and he remembers seeing the fire apparatus being pulled by horses."
- Elmer's grandson, Michael MacCall, BUBBA55900@aol.com |
See also a List of Deceased
Members of Chester Fire Departments courtesy of Florence E. O'Bryan, FOBionicBlonde@aol.com
|
| Recollections: |
"On behalf of my dad
[Joseph (Sonny) Fusco] I also wanted to mention that the Franklin Firehouse was on Concord
Avenue and maybe ask your readers if anyone remembers the firehouse dog that was
accidentally hit and killed by one of the fire trucks leaving the station. The dog
was so well loved that it was placed in a casket and laid out at the firehouse. This was
sometime during the 1940's." John Fusco, JFF21@rcn.com
[Editor's note: Here are some links to
the newspaper article about "Tippy's" funeral:]
Funeral
for "Tippy", the Franklin Fire Co. mascot who died in the
line of duty.
John
Swanson, Jr. & Tippy
A recollection from Browneyes122053@aol.com:
"Also my grand father was a member of the
Franklin Fire Department. I can remember that on Memorial Day they would always have a
service for the veterns and they would have food and everybody had a nice time. That
was in the good old days, I was young but it left and impression on me how everybody got
along."
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