When the Gong Rings
A Fire History of Charleston, Illinois
Compiled by Howard Taylor

CHARLESTON FIRE DEPARTMENT:  VOLUNTEER & OFFICER'S ROLL
This List was Composed from actual old fire logs, and no doubt is incomplete.  In the very early days everyone in town was a volunteer. 

These men were the ones listed and active in meetings and in positions.
A History On-Line Page by Howard Taylor

The Cart Pullers, Horse Drivers, Hose Crews, and
Firehouse "On Call" Men of Old 

E.A. SCHNORF
C.W. ROBERTS
JOHN RAUCH
PERRY CLARK
GEORGE CLARK
CHARLES HORTON
THEODORE E. SNYDER
GROVER GASTON
EDISON
ED RAUCH
EARL LANG
REYNALDS
EARL LANG
WALTER SCOTT
OLLIE SPROUT
OAKLEY HOPKINS
JIM MONTICUE
TOM SNYDER

BERT GYMAN
HENRY SNYDER
OLLIE AMYX
JOHN SNYDER
R.O. (DICK)WILEY
EARL THOMSON
WILLIAM LANG
ROBERT PRATHER
CLAUD MIDDLETON
P.O. HUFFMAN
CHARLEY MILLINER
WILKINS
C.E. BRADING
ONYX QUINN
SHELBY
JOHN TURNER
ED FAUST
WILLIAM WAIBLE

FRANK LANE
HUMPHREY
WALTER ADKINS
PARKER
ARCHIE BOAZ
HUTCHINGS
EDGAR RILEY
BENNETT
MEYERS
LEWIS WRIGHT
WILKINS
WALKER
ALVIN "DOC" WRIGHT
NEAL HUTTON
ALBERT HARRELL
HERSEY EATON
BERCAW O'HARA
FRANK BENSLEY


THE PRESIDENTS & CHIEFS OF THE CHARLESTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FORCE, AS ELECTED BY THEIR FELLOW MEN EVERY FEW YEARS:


1874-Joseph Gage

1874-79-James R. Cunningham

1879-83- Frederick Frommel

1883-85- William A. Jefferies


1885-86-R.S. Curd

1886-88-John Rice

1888-JoTrainor


1888-89- W.S. Dowling

1889-W.H. French


1889-92- Charles Roberts


1892-94-John Rice


1894-99- W.H. French

1899-1900- William Hart

1900-1901- Frank Huffman

1901-04- John Hutton

1904-1905- V.S. Brown

1905-07- Clarence Truelock


1907-09-John Rauch


1909- Albert Hall


1909-W.H. Dowling

1909-12- James Monticue


1912-13- Oakley Hopkins

1913- James Monticue


1913-1915- Oakley Hopkins

1915-16 Charles W. Roberts


1916-17 John Rauch  

1917-19  Walter Scott (President) 

Oakley Hopkins, Chief

1919-21 Ollie Sprout

1921-23 John Rauch (President)
John W. Rauch, Chief

1923-24 Earl Lang

1924-25 Emery Thomason

1925-27 Ollie F. Sprout

1927-28 P.O. Huffman, Chief

1927-31 Earl Lang (President & Chief)

1931-33 Earl Humphrey

1933-34 John Rauch

1933-35 Edgar Riley, Chief

1934-35 Edgar Riley (President)

1935-37 William Scott

1937-41 Edgar Riley

1941   L.E. Rennels

1941-42 AlvinWright

1942,44,45 Earl Lang

1945-48 E.W. Faust, Chief

1948-55 John Turner

1955-59 Neal Hutton

1959-75 George Milliner

1975-84 Melvin H. Taylor

1984-85 Leslie Hickenbottom

1985- Tom Watson


OTHER OFFICERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

William R. Highland, Asst. Engineer 1874-77
J. Van Sickle, 1st Asst. Engineer 1877-1879

E.G. Troutman, 2nd Asst. Engineer 1877-1879
Joseph E. Curd, 1st Asst. Engineer 1879-1882

Thomas Stoddart Jr., 2nd Asst. Engineer 1879-82
William Jefferies, 1st Asst. Engineer 1882-83

Joseph E. Curd, 2nd Asst. Engineer 1882-83
James Hayes, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1883-86

S.S. Johns, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1883-86

AD Coon, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1886-88

James Harding, 2nd Asst. Engineer 1886-88

Charles Fleehearty, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1888-89

AD Coon, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1888-89

Cooney Scheyet, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1989

James Dawson, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1989-92

AD Coon, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1889-90

Jack Martin, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1889-90

W.H. French, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1890-91

Charles Fleehearty, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1891-94

Charless Fleehearty, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1894-99

Arnie Ramsey, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1894-97

William Hart, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1897-99

William Warren, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1899-1900

Frank Fuffman, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1899-1900

Robert Hart, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1899-1900

William Hart, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1900-1901

V.S. Brown, 1st Asst. Engineer, 1901-1903

Ed Modrell, 2nd Assistant Engineer, 1901-02

Robert Hart, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 1902-03

V.S. Brown, Asst. Chief, Chief Driver, 1903-04

Clarence Truelock, Asst. Chief Driver, 1903-04

Clarence Truelock, Asst. Chief, 1904-05

John Rauch, Asst. Chief Driver, 1905-1907

Henry Snyder, Asst. Driver, 1907-09

Harvey Dowling, Asst. Chief, May-July, 1909

James Monticue, Asst. Chief, July 1-4,1909


Harvey Dowling, Asst. Chief, May-July, 1909

James Monticue, Asst. Chief, July 1-4,1909

Harvey Dowling, Asst. Chief, July 5-Aug.S, 1909

W.H. Dowling, 1st Asst. Chief, 1909-1910

Bert Chambers, 2nd Asst. Chief chief, 1909-1910

Albert Hall, 1st Asst. Chief, 1909-1910

Albert Hall, Asst. Chief, 1910

Oakley Hopkins, Asst. Chief, 1910-12


Frank Lone, 2nd Asst. Chief, 1911-12


Frank Lone, Asst. Chief, 1912-13

Oakley Hopkins, Asst. Chief, 1913

Eugene Walker, Asst. Chief, 1913-1915

John Rauch, Asst. Chief, 1915-17

Walter Scott, Asst. Chief, 1917-21

Earl J. Lang, Asst. chief, 1921-23

Francis Waible, Asst. Chief, 1923-24

Emery Thomason, Asst. chief, 1924

Earl Lang, Asst. chief, 1924-28

Elvin H. Thompson, Asst. chief, 1928-29

Henry M. snyder, Asst. Chief, 1929

S.H. Wilkins, Asst. Chief, 1929-30

Earl Lang, Asst. Chief, 1931-33

Charles Milliner served as Asst. Chief for a short time
while Lang was injured

Everett Parker, Asst, Chief, 1933

Forrest Hutchings, Asst. Chief, 1933-34

Everett Cooper, Asst. Chief, 1934-35

Edgar Riley, Asst. Chief, 1935-37

Ed Faust, Asst. Chief, 1937-41

Frank Kincaid, Asst. Chief, 1941-42

Earl Lang, Asst. Chief (and Acting Chief), 42-43

Neal Hutton, Asst. Chief, 1943-45

John Turner, Asst. Chief, 1945-48

Neal Hutton, Asst. Chief, 1948-55, Capt., July 15,1959

(Remaining officers listed in yearly Fire Logs)





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