The first recorded fire was the 66 room Chautauqua House Hotel on April 26, 1894.   Fifteen men responded at 1:30 a.m.   

 

The next large fire took place on April 18, 1901.  The buildings on the East side of the  uptown business district caught fire and were fanned by high winds.  The fire, which started in  Gilson’s store, burned every building from the corner of Erie and Chautauqua Streets to  Blanchard Street.   

 

On May 24, 1923, a large fire broke out in the old two story railroad depot on Water  Street.  It was soon apparent that it was useless trying to save the depot and it was decide to  save the three hotels across the street.  The Lake Front Hose Company was first on the scene.   The uptown Fischer Fire Company had to have part of their equipment hauled down by Sixbey’s  grocery truck causing a serious delay.   

 

The first motorized fire vehicle was purchased after a SPECIAL MEETING was held on  September 19, 1923.  The Lake Front Hose Company No. 2 was authorized to procure a Motor  Pumper & Hose Carso as to enable them to give better service in combatting the fire menace.   The amount to be raised by popular subscription.  In 1924, two units were purchased.  Seldon’s  250 gallon per minute pumper and a hose & chemical.   

 

The Mayville Fire Department held a meeting on March 11, 1924 and decided they  would ask the village for $9,000 worth of new equipment.  This would be two motor trucks that  would be equipped with chemical and pumpers.  

 

A festival was held in Mayville on September  20, 1924 to celebrate the delivery of the new engines.   

 

In November 1924, it was decided that both fire halls should be heated to prevent the  water from freezing in the radiators of the new trucks.  Small partitions were made around the  fire trucks so they could be heated with coal stoves.   

 

A special meeting was held in the Firemen’s Hall uptown on January 6, 1925.  Village  President Newton Lincoln recommended forming one big fire company from the Fischer Hose  and the Hook and Ladder companies that shared the facilities in the uptown fire hall.  The two  fire companies met on January 19, 1925 to discuss amalgamation.  It was decided that they  would merge and one single fire company was formed.   

 

In August 1931, Andrew C. Cornell, foreman of Mayville Hose Company No. 1, appeared  before a village board meeting.  He asked for an automobile mechanic to take regular care of  their fire truck.  The six drivers of the Lake Front Hose Company alternated one month at a time  taking care of their truck.   

 

The regular meeting of the Mayville Fire Department was held in Company Number 1’s  fire hall on December 14, 1948.  Normally the meeting would have covered only year’s end  business but much of the evening was taken up by a discussion of a different problem.  The  Lake Front Hose Company Hall had become very dilapidated and it was thought that it wouldn’t  last much longer.  Firemen talked about the possibility of razing the structure on the corner of  Valley and Morris Streets and erecting a new block building.    The village had plans drawn for a new village hall and fire house which would house all  the equipment owned by both companies.  

 

IN 1949, the village decided to move ahead with  plans for their new building.  The C.B. Frost firm did the demolition and it was almost  completed by the middle of September.   

 

Mayville received a brand new $12,000 fire truck on October 1, 1949.  Several hours of  test pumping were completed at the Morris Road Bridge over Mud Creek later on in the day.  It carried 350 gallons of water at all times.  The multi stage centrifugal pump delivered over 500  gallons a minute.  This pumper truck was stored at the public works garage on Morris Street  until the new office building and fire hall could be completed.  

 

The Lake Front Fire Hall caught on fire on Wednesday April 12, 1950.  A general alarm  was sounded at 8:40 p.m. and both fire companies responded in freezing temperatures.   Firemen broke out the second floor windows to remove records, papers and office supplies  from their upstairs meeting rooms.  The old fire truck was also taken out and put to use fighting  the fire.  The fire appeared to be out and the firemen left the scene.    The flames flared up again and the fire companies were called out again at 10:20 p.m.   This time they remained at the scene until 1 a.m.  The back of the building and the attic space,  including the roof timbers, were badly damaged.  The loss was covered by insurance of about  $2,800.  Mayville’s fire engines consisted of two old Selden Pacemaker engines and the new  $12,000 unit at this time.   

 

The new Community Building was completed uptown and a, “Public Inspection and  Opening,” was held on Saturday January 27, 1951 from 2 to 10 p.m.  It was built at a cost of  $100,242.50 with about a quarter of the cost being paid by the Town which would have a suite  of offices in the building.  Over 500 people attended the open house.  On the first floor would  be the Town and Village offices, a fire hall that could hold three trucks, and a meeting room for  firemen.  The second floor was still unfinished.   

 

In 1966, the Mayville Fire Department purchased a new fire truck from the American  Fire Apparatus Company of Battle Creek Michigan.  The new truck had a 1,000 per minute  single stage centrifugal pump, a 6 foot aerial ladder, a 30 gallon booster tank, 1,500 feet of 2 ½  inch and 1 ½ inch hose, and 315 feet of ground ladders of various lengths.  

 

A new Cadillac  Ambulance would be purchased two years later in 1968.   

 

A 100 year celebration was held on April 5, 1986.  Open house was held that day with  new truck E251 placed in service.  It was a 1986 Ford pumper with a 1,500 gallon per minute  midship pump.  Melvin Baldwin was Chief at the time and Sheriff John Bentley was the guest  speaker.  Willis Rothra, who had joined the Lake Front Hose company in 1915, was the honored  guest and oldest former member present.   

 

The old 1924 Seldon fire truck that had belonged to Lake Front Hose Company Number  2 was found in a barn on Risley Hill Road in the Town of Cherry Creek.  It had been purchased  by a Mr. O’Conners who took off all the special equipment like the radiator cap, bell, and lights  and hidden them throughout the barn.  Mayville Fire Department purchased it for $600.  Ernest  Cowan, Dennis Syper, Larry Maytum and others stripped it to the frame.  It was repainted and is  now used in parades.