Looking To List All Albion Firefighters

The Albion Fire Department has decided to honor its past and present members, by displaying in the firehouse a plaque with all their names. I’m talking all their names, from our entire 125 (or so) year history.

I, being the AFD’s official historian (I made that up, but it could happen), have been tasked with gathering those names. Why? Well, being determined to someday write full time gave me experience at chasing impossible dreams.

So while it might be difficult to find out who manned the hook and ladder in 1905, I’m taking a shot at it—and I need your help. Yeah, I’m pointing at you.

Everyone please spread the word around, and send me the names of all the Albion firefighters you remember or heard of. (Not Mark Hunter—I know about him.) We’re looking for (naturally) names, but also years of service. For instance, for me it would be 1980-2019, which is when my warranty is due to run out. Or at least a partial range: For instance, I have Harry Campbell down as 1935-1952, but that’s not his entire firefighting career—it’s the years when he was chief. Or, if someone’s heard a number instead of a range, I’ll use that: An example would be, say, Jacob, Phil: 63 years of service. (Obviously just a name is better than nothing.)

That’s for the plaque. I’d also like to have on record the highest rank achieved, for historical purposes. Or at least the highest rank known, in the case of long ago. As still another example, I have: Epp, John: known year of service, 1888. Highest rank, Foreman of the Hook & Ladder apparatus.

See how easy that is? I only had to spend days going through old newspaper microfilms for that one.

So please, send me all the names you can remember, and hopefully the rest of that stuff. Also, if you live in Albion, Illinois, and have never heard of Albion, Indiana, you can disregard this now that you’ve read the whole thing.

Message me here, or use my website contact form at http://markrhunter.com/contact.php ... Or, my e-mail address and home phone numbers really aren’t that hard to track down. If you tried a gmail.com address that had markrichardhunter @ the beginning of it …