denfire1

HISTORY OF THE DENVER FIRE COMPANY NO. 1
Its Organization

One April evening, one-hundred years ago, a small group of men sat down
at a meeting in the newly incorporated Borough of Denver, Pennsylvania. Their
meeting was for the purpose of organizing a volunteer fire company.

At that time, before telephones, automobiles, and mechanical fire-fighting
equipment. Once a fire started, it was often uncontrollable. Fear of fire and the lack of
facilities for controlling it, was in the minds of the borough incorporators in 1900.
The crude method of extinguishing fires, carrying well and creek water great dis-
tances, brought people to realize the need for a common water system. They fig-
ured the community would have to be incorporated.

So the community was incorporated, and the Borough Council laid plans for
a water system. The system was almost completed when the little group of men
interested in starting a fire company held its first meeting.

First Officers
The firemen elected J. R. Lutz their first president. Other officers were: J. S.
Reider, vice-president; L. M. Mellinger, treasurer; Raymond Find, secretary; and
Milton Grimes, chief foreman. Trustees were M. E. Grimes, Solomon Thalheimer,
John Hartman, J. R. Lutz, Charles Gensemer, and Stephen Sweigart.

Charter Members
These men laid the foundation for the organization of the fire company. It
wasn't long before others joined them. By the time a charter was drawn up, the
company, named Denver Fire Company No. I, was thirty-six men strong. The
charter members were: M. B. Grimes, Jesse Lutz, L. M. Mellinger, N. E.
Gudenkunst, Henry Bearinger, Harry Gerhart, E. E. Eberly, A. E. Kurtz, A. H.
Bucher, John Oberlin, M. E. Kurtz, E. S. Sharp, Solomon Thalheimer, John
Hartman Stephen Sweigart, H. W. Bard, S. H. Bucher, Harvey Bard, H. E. Eberly,
Alvin W. Mentzer, J. B. Swally, J. J. Faust, W. B. Grimes, Jesse Rider, Raymond
Fink, Charles Gensemer, S. Frank Weinhold, S. G. Brubaker, S. H. Miller, A. J.
Ream, H. E. lmhoff, George Rutt, W. L. Stober, P. W. Brubaker, C. 0. Henry, and J.
E. Kempfer.

Company Leaders
Presidents:
1902-1907 J. R. Lutz,
1908-1923 Silas E. Bard,
1924-1926 S.Witmyer,
1927-1934 Guy K. Bard,
1935-1937 W. Earl Stober,
1938 Carl Weaver,
1939-1940 Leroy G. Weinhold,
1941-1942 William W. Becker,
1943-1947 Leroy G.Weinhold,
1948-1956 Leonard Smith,
1957-1960 Donald W. Stauffer,
1961-1963: John Leid,
1964-1965: Harold Sweigart,
1966-1970: Robert E. Getz,
1971-1975: John Leid
1976-1977 Bruce Wagner,
1978-1979 Tim Ensinger,
1980-1999 Rev. Larry G. Hummer
2000: John K. Weaver,
2001-2006: Donald Ernst Jr.
2007-present: Mike Bonneau