If fifty years of anything is something to celebrate, fifty years of a local volunteer fire department is most definitely something to celebrate. On this day in 1964, a write-up on the celebration of the golden anniversary and the history of the Wishek Volunteer Fire Department was shared in the Wishek Star, inviting everyone to join in celebrating this milestone.
The fiftieth anniversary banquet was held on the evening of January 31 at Maggie’s Café in Wishek. Firemen and their wives, along with the mayor and other city officials, were invited guests at the banquet. They enjoyed a chicken dinner and listened to the speaker of the night, Mr. H. E. Timm, who presented a history of the Wishek Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Timm had served for two years as the department’s first chief.
The program concluded with a film showing a petroleum bulk station fire from Kansas City. This was followed by an analysis and commentary of the fire and the firefighting efforts, which proved to be of great instructional value to the firefighters.
In the early years of the town, a voluntary bucket brigade served as Wishek’s firefighting system. As the town grew, the threat of fires grew with it. The first two-wheeled chemical engines were purchased by the Wishek Village Board in the fall of 1913, and on December 16, 1913, the Wishek Volunteer Fire Department was officially organized. The increasing number of buildings and residents required more sophisticated fire-suppression systems.
During his presentation, Mr. Timm shared many nuggets of fire department history with his audience. He recalled a particularly wild ride the Wishek firemen took to Napoleon on February 7, 1914, in response to an urgent call for help with a lumberyard fire that threatened the entire town. The firefighters kept the fire from spreading and stood watch throughout the night in temperatures of thirty-five degrees below zero.
The importance of volunteer fire departments could not be overstated during this anniversary celebration. In his concluding remarks, Mr. Timm paid high tribute to both present and former members, describing them as “public-spirited citizens—men who perform a real public service in the protection of the homes, property, and lives of our people.” Every citizen and property owner in Wishek owes them respect and gratitude for their service and care to the town over the past fifty years.
Dakota Datebook by Ashley Thronson
Sources:
- “Wishek Firemen celebrate Golden Anniversary” The Wishek Star. February 13, 1964.
- Wishek Golden Jubilee Executive Committee. Spirit of Wishek: Wishek golden jubilee, 1898-1948. 1948
