In the fall of 1869, the Oxford Gas and Water Works Company began the building of a reservoir along the Limestone Road, now Route 10, on one acre of ground purchased from Samuel Dickey. The source of water was the sawmill pond of John Reed purchased about the same time. The water would be forced from the Lower Oxford site to a higher elevation about a mile away. This from a stream of the West Branch of the Big Elk Creek.
Then it would fall by gravity into town with the aid of a standpipe and would supply water to the Hall building, the tallest structure in the borough. This work continued into the next year, the laying of the main into Oxford, the business district, with hydrants located in and around the center of the borough. The reservoir being 84 square feet at the top, 30 at the bottom, and 18 feet deep. This is on the highest elevation in the area.
Very little interest was shown by the citizens of Oxford, they would not buy stock in the venture, some even saying it would not be a success. As a result the company sold the water works in April, 1870 to the borough at a cost of about $30,000.
The first running water to be piped into the borough occurred on Thursday, January 20, 1870. The fire hydrants were opened to alleviate the pressure and in just 20 minutes, water gushed forth in the town. The young men in Oxford who had observed all of this began to talk of what use could be made of of this event. Finally, the Rev. John Miller Dickey journeyed to Philadelphia to purchase an engine and hose cart from fire companies in the city which had just turned professional, thus making a lot of equipment available.
The Oxford Fire Company was organized on February 6, 1871, when 21 young men met in the stock room of Showalter and Mathews in the Dickey building, now the Peoples Bank. At the second meeting a few days later, the name was changed to Union Fire Company No. 1, since some of the equipment had been purchased from a Philadelphia company with the same name. At this meeting, George E. Jones was elected Chief Engineer.
Shortly after this the Burgess and Town Council purchased a quantity of hose for use of the borough. The hose being in excellent condition was purchased from Philadelphia’s Washington Hose Company at about 1/4 of the original price. Shortly after this, the fire engine, hose cart, and 500 ft. of hose purchased by Rev. Dickey arrived and was turned over to the fledgling fire company. Early in July a hook and ladder truck was added to the equipment of the company. Finally, in September of 1872, John Miller Dickey donated a lot on South Third Street at the mouth of Broad Street to the fire company to build a firehouse. This would be a two-story frame building. The second floor was used for meetings of the company. Stables were built for the horses in the rear. |
