When the Gong Rings

A Fire History of Charleston, Illinois Compiled by Howard Taylor

FIRE LOG

1940's       Return to Pages of Pre-1940's (Pages under Construction)

CHARLESTON FIRE DEPARTMENT:  VOLUNTEER TO PAID
VOLUNTEERS STILL MAJOR IMPORTANCE
The Time of World War II, Professional Dept. Organized, Melvin Taylor Hired, 1948
 

1940
The population of Illinois was 7,897,241
Franklin D. Roosevelt was President of the United States
Charleston police reported that among their duties for 1940, they attended eleven fires.

1941
December 7, In a surprise attack, Japanese planes devastated the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor
Fire Chief Alvie Wright and Police Patrolman Al Fogleman were appointed to head plans for fire and police protection in the event of an air raid.

1942-43
World War II was gaining in Europe and in the Pacific fronts.  Nazis were beginning to send Jews to Auschwitz in Poland.

1944
The 10:00 P.M. curfue for children under the age of 16 was in-acted by Charleston city government.  The old Fire Bell would be rung by the crew on duty.  Five minutes before 10:00 police men would make a tour of places where young people liked to stay out.  The police would be located down the street from the 500 Jackson Fire House.  Firemen would answer calls for the police department and relay message requests through use of a wired light bulb signal.

1945
January 13-- The Charleston Cheese Factory was destroyed by fire.
Auschwitz concentration camp was discovered by the Allies (the Soviets).
U.S. Marines stormed Iwo Jima in the Pacific front
April 12th-- President Roosevelt died of a crebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia.  Harry Truman was sworn in at 7:09 p.m.
(This writer was told that many "cried tears" upon hearing the President had died.)
May 7th-- Germany surrendered.

1946
Parking meters were installed on the square
August 6th--The U.S. bomber, Enola Gay dropped a 9,000 pound atomic bomb on the Japanese city Hiroshima.
August 8th-- a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki
A contract was let to construct Lake Charleston.
September 25-- Japan surrendered aboud the battleship Missouri
December 7--  Melvin and Louise (Lynch) Taylor were married

1947-48
September 16-- The author of this website (Howard Taylor) was born in Montgomery Hospital on Division Street, along with a lot of other future baby boomers.  Melvin Taylor was busy selling 7up and Pepsi for Hendrix Bottling in Mattoon. 
Supposedly, the economy was very bad for Americans, (as we are all used to all the time now even in the 21st century)
Charleston Fire Department would become a professional department with two crews of three, under the authority of the Police and Fire Commission