A History of the Christiansburg Volunteer Fire Department
1911-1986

If the group of men who formed the Christiansburg Volunteer Fire Department in the Fall of 1911 could have foreseen the department's growth and development over the next seventy-five years they would have been truly amazed.  Moreover, if the future innovations and improvements in firefighting techniques and specialized equipment could have been revealed to them, their amazement would have risen to an even greater degree.

Virginia was just passing from the greatest recovery period in its history.  Barely forty-five years had passed since the end of the War Between the States; newspapers were few and present day information media -- telephone, radio, television -- was all but nonexistent.

It was then that the community leaders worked to form an organized fire department.  Prior to that time there had been "bucket brigades" used to fight fires in the town.  Buckets hung on a rope in the old town hall building and, when fire broke out, citizens rushed to the scene carrying the buckets.  Two lines would then be formed -- one line of men from a well, creek, cistern or other source of water -- a second line, usually made up of women and children, from the fire back to the water supply.  Full buckets of water would be passed along the line of men and put on the fire then passed, empty, back through the second line to be refilled.  These efforts were sincere, and it was hard work for all involved, but they were usually far less than successful.  The bucket brigade probably stood its greatest test when the Episcopal Church and Johnson & Janney Store burned on January 13, 1903.  This occurred at the corner of West Main and Hickok Streets, where Scottie Pharmacy now stands.

In those days Christiansburg had no water works.  Another sad defeat was handed the bucket brigade when fire destroyed the Aaron Graham Lumber Yard and Planning Mill in 1907.  This large business stood between North Franklin and College Streets not far from where the local ABC store is located today.  Frantic messages and calls for aid were sent to Roanoke when it became evident that the fire was far out of control.  The Roanoke City Fire Department sent a horse drawn steam fire engine here by special N&W train to fight the raging flames, but, when it arrived, there was not enough water in the near-by creek for it to pump!

From 1909 to 1911 the Town of Christiansburg planned and constructed a water works system consisting of a reservoir, pumping station and distribution mains.  Water was secured from two large springs located about two and one half miles west of downtown, not far from the present day Round Meadow Country Club.  A "ram" was used for about four years to pump the water from the springs to the elevated reservoirs, just off Radford Street.  Afterward, a gasoline engine and piston-type pump replaced the ram.  A couple of years later the gasoline engine was replaced by an electric motor for operating the pumps.

In September, 1911, town council appointed Mr. William Beecham to serve as Christiansburg's first fire chief and authorized him to organize a volunteer fire company with two captains and two or three lieutenants.  With the new fire department organized, council purchased 1200 feet of fire hose, two hose reels, two shut-off nozzles, a Siamese hose coupler and several small fire extinguishers.  Part of this equipment is still in the possession of the local department.

Records are not available to reveal the charter members of the Christiansburg Volunteer Fire Department.  Those records were lost when fire spread through the Spindle Building on the SW side of the Town Square in 1915.  The town records were housed there and a number of them perished, including minutes of town council meetings of that time period.

In 1912 the town fathers gave police powers to the Fire Chief, Captain and Lieutenants during a fire and also provided that when fire broke out, any team of horses on the street could be pressed into service to pull the hose reels to the scene of the fire.  For this, the owner would be paid the sum of fifty cents for each service rendered.  So far as can be determined this action has not been rescinded and remains in force.

In August, 1912, Fire Chief Beecham resigned his post and Mr. Charlie S. Charlton was appointed to serve as fire chief.

The hose reels were used until 1923, at which time the town purchased a forty gallon chemical fire extinguisher with hose, two small fire extinguishers and additional hose and mounted this equipment on a Model T Ford truck.  This was not a true fire engine - it had no pumping capability - but simply a motorized unit for hauling some equipment.  En route to a fire, firemen would many times have to jump off the truck and help it through the mud on Main Street or push while it struggled up a hill.

About 1926 a Cadillac touring car, confiscated for carrying "bootleg whiskey" was turned over to the fire department and the equipment was mounted on it.  Now the men could ride to the fires (and with some speed!), but they still had limited equipment to work with when they got there.  Soon afterward, in 1927, the Cambria Baptist Church was destroyed by a spectacular blaze.

After serving for 16½ years Chief Charlton was replaced in 1928 by Mr. James S. Childress as fire chief.  Mr. Childress held the office for eight years.  He also served for a number of years as sheriff of Montgomery County.

During the next few decades the department began to grow into an accomplished, well-trained fire fighting unit.  Christiansburg insured its equipment and provided insurance for all firemen.  In September of 1929 the amount of $1,000, the first operating appropriation for the fire department, appeared in the town budget.  On July 29, 1930, the town council appointed Fire Chief Childress, Mr. Lilburn Dunlap and Mr. G.C. Jones to confer with the Town of Cambria and Montgomery County and see what they would be willing to pay toward a true fire engine.  Cambria joined with Christiansburg and agreed to pay $1,500 toward the purchase of new equipment and assumed ¼  of the operating expenses of the fire department.  Montgomery County declined to participate.

On August 11, 1930 town council and the firemen met with a representative of the American la France and Foamite Fire Equipment Company of Elmira, New York at Silver Lake, just west of town, for a demonstration of a new fire truck.  So impressed was council that on August 20, less than ten days later, they voted to purchase the new American la France 500 GPM (gallon per minute) pumper, complete with a 200 gallon booster tank for water, chemical extinguishers, handlights, floodlight, etc. for $6,500.  They also placed $500 in the 1931 budget for the department.  Late in 1930, an additional 1500 feet of fire hose was purchased by Christiansburg and Cambria.  The new fire truck was lettered in gold leaf: "Christiansburg Cambria Fire Department."

That same year, fire destroyed the Evans & Flannagan Furniture and Hardware Store on the present site of the First National Bank.  The new pumper supplied plenty of water, but the fire had too much of a start to be stopped.  On December 16, 1932, an early morning fire consumed the old grade school on Stone Street where the rescue squad headquarters stands.  Fireman braved cold winds and frozen hoses during that all night battle.  School children returned to school after New Year, 1933 above the old Bank of Christiansburg building, where they finished out the school year.

The first complete listing of members of the fire department appeared some 53 years ago, in 1933.  The firemen were:

In 1935 the department considered raising the membership, but due to the lack of coats and other equipment, and the absence of funds with which to purchase them, the matter was tabled. In 1936 another school, this one in Cambria, was destroyed by fire.  Firemen had no protective clothing or gear, other than what they could furnish for themselves.  During the Cambria School fire, Fireman A. Parker Jones was struck on the head by a falling brick and knocked off a ladder.  He was knocked unconscious, but fortunately was not seriously injured.  The firemen began trying to raise more money to buy themselves helmets, coats, boots and gloves.

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