Voices from the Past

July 28, 1922

Broadus Creates a Fire District

Friday evening at a special meeting of the Broadus Chamber of Commerce a petition was drafted that requests the board of county commissioners to create a fire district in Broadus. Organization of a company of firemen was perfected by electing J.F. Blenkner as fire chief and H.R. Straiton as secretary-treasurer. Twenty members enrolled in this company and others will raise its membership to the maximum of 28.

The fire company will authorize the commissioners to make a special levy in the Broadus fire district for the purpose of raising $350 by taxation to be applied to the purchase of a forty-gallon chemical engine that will cost approximately $200 and for necessary fire buckets, hooks, ladders and rope.

The question of housing the chemical engine to prevent the solution from freezing was solved by the offer of W.T. Waite for its storage in the basement of the First National Bank.

With the installation of a chemical engine as proposed, a reduction of 5 percent will be allowed by the fire underwriters in premiums on fire insurance. Reductions of this amount will apply to all fire policies within a distance of 1,000 feet from the location of the chemical engine. Only recently another 5 percent reduction was authorized in policies written within the business district of Broadus where chemical hand extinguishers are installed. Following this announcement other business houses and individuals placed their orders for additional hand extinguishers.

The board of county commissioners will fix the different tax levies at the August meeting and among these will be the special levy in the Broadus fire district.

With the money assured from this levy, the order for the engine and additional apparatus will be so that with the desire to have it here at the earliest date possible to take care of any fire contingency.

July 20, 1972

'You've Come a Long Way'

By Ashton Jones

Only three of the original 20 members of the Broadus Volunteer Fire Department which was organized 50 years ago on July 21, 1922 are still living in Broadus and they are Lawrence Thompson, Powder River County Assessor, A.W. Heidel, founder and director of the Powder River County Bank, and H.R. Cook, Powder River rancher.

The first Fire Chief, J.F. "Skinny" Blenkner, who served as the Chief of the department until he moved to Billings almost 40 years ago, passed away in Billings within the past year. "Skinny" is best remembered by the firemen because he never failed to wear the Fire Chief's hat when called out by the fire bell or siren to answer to a fire alarm. He was an excellent chief and the department operated with great efficiency during his term.

The new town and county seat of Powder River County was without a fire department for two years until the Volunteer Fire Department was organized. The fire district, which included the area that is roughly now the townsite of Broadus, was authorized by law to levy 10 mills on all of the taxable valuation within the fire district for the operation of the department. This did not bring in any great amount of money but it did enable the department to buy two chemical extinguishers of 20 gallon capacity each. These were mounted on wheels and could be pulled to the scene of a fire by the firemen on foot or sitting in the back end of a pickup. These were originally stored in the First National Bank building, now the office of Marjorie Onstad. They were shortly moved to the Broadus Merc. as this place of business was open more hours of each day and evening.

The funds also allowed for the purchase of an automobile chassis which was converted into a pumper. Several cisterns were built in the town square, one at the northeast corner of the square where the town well is located. The other was built in the northwest corner of the square, site of the present "Old Fire Hall". The pump was mounted on the front of the chassis and was hooked up directly with the crankshaft of the chassis motor. This was the chassis of a Nash automobile and this vehicle was stored in Scotty McKenzie's Garage which is the site of the present Reeves Chevrolet.

The tax money was inadequate for the operation of the fire department and it was the wives of the firemen who in reality provided the funds. This came about every New Year's Eve when the annual Firemen's Ball was held in Macy's Hall and later in the gymnasium of the old high school building. Tickets were sold in advance of the Ball and everyone for miles around attended this gala event. The sale of the tickets usually paid the expenses of the Ball, orchestra, hall rent, decorations, advertising, etc., but the profit from the Ball came from the supper served at midnight by the wives of the firemen. The fire department could always depend upon the women turning in more than $500 from this activity.

Another cistern was built in the southwest corner of the square across from the hotel. Later another cistern was built in the alley next to Bone's Garage. When the alarm was sounded, the firemen would lay aside any task before him and rush to the scene of the fire which could usually be seen from any point in town. Each fireman had a specific task. Some would go to the Broadus Merc. to get the chemical tanks. Others would go to the garage to get the pumper. This machine was driven to the cistern nearest the fire, the suction hose from the pump dropped into the cistern and hopefully water would start coming through the pump and hose and out of the nozzle. There were hosemen and nozzlemen and the department owned about 500 feet of two inch fire hose.

About 30 years ago the fire department was able to secure a building from the CCC which had been abandoned at the Whitetail ranger station. This was moved to Broadus and located in the town square and it has served as a Fire Hall ever since. Soon after the Fire Hall was erected, a new Ford chassis was purchased and the pump installed on this chassis along with hose racks, ladders and other fire department equipment. This served for many years.

When Otis Nisley was a member of the board of county commissioners, a deal was made with the county for the fire department to operate a fire truck owned by the county. While the members of the fire department had always responded to a fire alarm on any farm or ranch, upon being notified of such a fire, it was not until the county purchased a truck with a water tank and pump that the firemen were able to successfully cope with a fire in a building. Now the county is partner with the fire department for fighting farm or ranch fires.

The volunteer fire department took a leading part in the incorporating of the Town of Broadus and their interest was in getting a municipal water department which would supply water for fire fighting. Since the establishment of the municipal government and the locating of fire hydrants in all areas of town, the fighting of fires has become a far easier task for the department. More and better equipment and a modern fire engine pumper have been added and Broadus in unique in having one of the better fire fighting establishments among the smaller towns. Fire insurance rates have been reduced because of the record of the department. The pioneers cannot help but be proud of the accomplishments of the volunteer fire department and of this modern new building presently under construction to provide housing for the equipment of this modern fire department.