For those "back-steppers" who remember the firemen's parades of years-gone-by, you probably have a few memories of the good times with the members of neighboring fire companies.  In addition to showing off the fire equipment to the

After a bit of controversy regarding the construction, the Green Lane firehouse was finally completed in 1922.

parade-watchers, there was always a bit of competition to see who had the best appearing this or the best appearing that.

            Children always wore the biggest smiles when the trucks passed by.

            So there was a touch of sadness when I heard that the Green Lane Fire Company would be postponing its planned parade this July.  But, the safety of all during this crazy pandemic is paramount.  Planning during this difficult time is next to impossible for organizers.  We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope they will bounce back next year and everyone will be able to enjoy an event that we don't see enough of anymore.

            It was planned as a small version of the giant processions held in years past;

1920's era sales poster from Hale Fire Pump Co., Inc. of Conshohocken showing the newly delivered Hale- Reo Pumping Engine delivered to Green Lane Fire Company.

just a few friends and neighbors gathering for a small parade in the small town to celebrate the company's 100^th anniversary.

            One hundred years ago is a long time and it can be enjoyable to take a peek back and share the past bumps-in-the-road of an organization so that we can compare them to organizational bumps-in-the-road today.

            According to Montgomery County – The Second Hundred Years, the folks of Green Lane began organizing in 1918, and the group received a Charter for the company in 1919.  The 1918 talks began shortly after a fire destroyed the home of Francis N. Gilbert.       

            A gentleman by the name of Isaac Smith was elected treasurer of the group in 1918 and in 1919 he donated a building lot to the group as a place for it to construct a firehouse.   But, when the lot was deemed unsuitable for building, Smith donated $100 towards the $450 purchase price of a more suitable site on Main Street. 

            All seemed well and work began on the new firehouse in 1920.  But by March of 1922, almost two years after the groundbreaking for the building, the headline in the newspaper read "Completion of New Fire House Uncertain." 

            The excavation was complete and the foundation poured.  Bricks were delivered and stacked neatly along the pavement. 

             Shortly after starting construction a controversy ensued and all work halted.

            The need for a fire company was well known and accepted by the community.  Donations came in to get the project started, then quickly stopped.

            When the volunteers went back to the community for donations to keep the project going, they were met with skepticism.  The members of the newly formed fire company were trying to build a firehouse to store their fire equipment.  Problem was – they had no equipment to store.

            It was deemed that potential donors felt that many of the citizens no longer favored building a firehouse to store equipment that the fire company did not have.  They considered it "un-businesslike" and the money stopped coming in.

            The volunteers wanted to purchase a chemical fire apparatus while the towns-folk favored a water system installed in the borough with the water coming from a well above the town.  

            Hence the stand-off.

            After nearly two years of nothing, apparently a little newspaper publicity paid off.  The following week the headline proclaimed "Fire House to be Completed."

            Green Lane Burgess Walter Hambrecht (also a volunteer firefighter) announced that "the new firehouse will be completed in 1922 and there will also be a fire apparatus that will do justice to the Perkiomen Valley."  On April 22, 1922 the Green Lane Fire Company announced that they awarded the contract for a new fire truck to the Reo-Hale company of Conshohocken at a cost of $4,250.  The bids for construction of the new building were opened but a decision tabled until a special meeting in May.

            At that meeting, the members awarded the contract to E. W. Shallcross of Graterford.

            The volunteers took possession of their new truck in July.  It was equipped with a 300-gallon water pump, chemical tank, hose, ladders and other firefighting equipment.  Samuel Hartzel was appointed as the head engineer of the apparatus.  The truck was housed in a Green Lane garage while awaiting the completion of the new firehouse.

            Less than a month later, the new fire truck saw one of its earliest actions at a fatal fire that destroyed the Green Tree Tavern in Upper Frederick Township.

            Organized fire companies were still scarce in 1922.  A neighbor of the tavern, Orlando Erb, called the Green Lane Fire Company.  In an interview, he remarked that the volunteers made it to the scene in less than 10 minutes – pretty good for 1922.  Green Lane was assisted at the call by the Gilbertsville Fire Company.

Firefighters pose with their 1930 Seagraves pumper, purchased for $5,736, in front of  of the firehouse.

            In December of 1922, the headlines of the Town and Country proclaimed "New $12,000 Firehouse Completed" and "Green Lane is Justly Proud of Firehouse."  According to the article, the two-story building contained an engine room, election room and council chambers on the first floor.  The club and meeting rooms were located on the second floor, and three bowling alleys and a kitchen in the basement.

            By the way, the term back-steppers comes from the days before fancy (and much safer) truck cabs, that can seat six or eight firefighters, were around; it was a time when firefighters, hanging onto a handrail, stood on the back step of the fire engine for their ride to an emergency call.  It was also considered to be a faster way for firefighters to go into action, pulling hose from the back of the hose-bed and grabbing other equipment from the trucks.

            Happy 100^th to the Green Lane Fire Company.