In 1880 the company purchased a Silsby Steam Engine from Seneca Falls, NY for $2800. This gave better protection than before.
In 1901 the company moved into a new station on the south side of Market Street where the apartment building now stands. This would be their headquarters until they moved across the street in 1921 and purchased the Dickey Mansion for $21,000. This is now their present location.
The company’s Fire Police unit was founded in February of 1907.
The first motorized fire engine was a 500 gpm South Bend pumper, purchased in 1918 from South Bend, Indiana for $5600. This truck shortly afterward, answered an alarm for the first time out of the borough, in Lower Oxford township.
In 1921 the company celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a banquet at the Oxford Presbyterian Church, served by the ladies of the Research Club followed by a show held in the adjacent Gem Theatre.
In 1925 the Oxford Ambulance Club was formed by civic minded residents and the fire company housed their ambulance and supplied personel to man the equipment. Finances were always a problem and in 1958 the entire operation was turned over to the fire company. To assure this service would continue, an ambulance club was formed in 1964. This has been the major funding for the Ambulance Division of the fire company.
A Ladies Auxiliary to the fire company was formed in 1950 becoming an integral part in the day to day operation of the organization.
In the middle of 1955 the fire company went modern when they installed two way radio communication with a base station and all of the equipment. Mrs. Gladys McMichael, President of the Ladies Auxiliary, presented a check for $200 toward the purchase of the equipment for this project. |
