[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E723-E724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO THE LINCOLN FIRE COMPANY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 1998

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the 
momentous occasion of the 90th Anniversary of the Borough of Totowa's 
Lincoln Fire Company.
  The Lincoln Fire Company was formed in 1908 by a group of civic 
minded citizens who met at the Willard Park Hotel. The corporation 
papers were filed and recorded on April 23, 1908. In that same month 
the governing body of the Borough passed an ordinance that established 
the Borough of Totowa Fire Department and included the Lincoln Fire 
Company as one of two companies in the Borough. In July of that same 
year a committee was appointed for the election of a chief and 
assistant chief. The first elected Chief was George McCrea and the 
first Assistant Chief Thomas Dunkerly.
  In the early years of the Company the engine was attached to passing 
wagons to get it to a fire. The engine carried fire pails, ladders, 
lanterns, hose and the firefighters' gear. Alarms were sounded by 
striking large steel gongs with hammers made available to citizens 
located in strategic areas. Whenever available, citizens who owned 
horses would bring them to the fire house, hitch them to the apparatus 
and bring it to the fire scene. For this favor a citizen was paid the 
sum of $2.00.
  Lincoln's headquarters have been located in what is now known as the 
``Old Borough Hall'' since it acquired space on the ground floor of the 
building on Lincoln Avenue somewhere around 1910. The front part of the 
building housed the apparatus and the rear section of the building 
provided space for the Company members to hold their meetings. 
Additional space was acquired when the Police Department moved to the 
new municipal building in 1969. The meeting room has been completely 
remodeled and now serves as a place to hold social functions as well as 
meetings.

[[Page E724]]

  Through the years Lincoln has had a number of different fire trucks. 
Present members recall a Reo, a 1937 Ford '85, a 1950 Mack and the 
present 1967 Mack Thermodyne. All of these units were pumpers. Prior to 
the 20's it appears that the Company was equipped with horse hand-drawn 
chemical apparatus.
  Active membership has averaged between twenty-five and thirty members 
in recent years. Membership also includes Junior Members, Social 
Members, Honorary Members and Life Members. The members and their 
families gather several times a year to celebrate special occasions 
such as the installation of officers, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween and 
the traditional Christmas Party at which the members' children and 
grandchildren are paid a visit by Santa Claus.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, and the Borough 
of Totowa in recognizing the many outstanding and invaluable 
contributions the members of the Lincoln Fire Company provide to the 
public safety of our citizens. On this the 90th Anniversary of the 
Lincoln Fire Company, the members take great pride in providing 
volunteer fire service on a round-the-clock basis, 365 days a year, to 
Borough residents. In the future, as in the past and present Lincoln 
will continue to be the ``First, Last and Always.''

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