Incorporated: October 1933 >EVANS CENTER - The Community
[The following is a reprint of the condensed history of The Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. penned by then-secretary of the fire department John Denisco - circa 1980. John was a long-time life member of the department and served as our secretary for many years. John has passed on but his memories and writings remain with us. Check back for an up-to-date and more comprehensive history coming soon.]
To paraphrase an old saying if you want a job done, give it to a busy man, or men.
This
presaged the origin of the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company. Mr. William
Riker and a group of dedicated, and conscientious men, heeded these words. They
located an old garage on Bennett Road, off Route 5 in 1932 and organized the
second fire company in the Town of Evans. Mr. Riker became its first president
and at this time they purchased a 1927 Pierce Arrow Fire Truck, as their initial
investment.
In 1940 these
men updated the fire company with a
new 1939 International fire truck of 500 gpm.
In
1941 a piece of land was bought at our present site of Erie Road and a new
assembly hall was erected. In October of 1936 under the leadership of Mrs.
Mildred Butts a Ladies Auxiliary was formed to aid the volunteers with all their
endeavors. In a recent interview with Mrs. Butts, Secretary John J. DeNisco was
informed that the ladies also organized a marching unit, that paraded for many
years.
In
1947 a new three bay engine room was added to this building, and in 1948 a new
chassis was bought for the tanker truck. In the year 1955 another new
International Truck became an additional segment for this expanding fire
company, and a year later two more fire truck bays were added to this engine
room.
The year of 1955 was a banner year, in that the Lions Club donated a new ambulance to Evans Center, and now with the Highland Hose Company there were two ambulance services for this large area.
In 1968 a fire
destroyed the entire complex, but rising from adversity,
dedication once again prevailed. With the leadership of men such as President
John S. Ginnitti, a committee was formed, ideas were conceived and plans were
discussed with an architect, and all this resulted in the construction of the
most modern, and beautiful assembly hall of the area. Late this summer the
mortgage for this new building which was dedicated in 1971 will be burned in an
historical ceremony.
Evans Center purchased new Cadillac Ambulances in both the years 1960 and 1965. The year 1970 saw the last of the Cadillac Ambulances, for in 1977 a new modern type van ambulance was made an addition to Evans Center.
Under
the leadership of dedicated officers, and our present President Georgiann F.
Clear, the ladies have been unselfishly generous in their donations to the fire
company. In 1976 the Ladies donated $5,000 that paid for the Hurst Tool (Jaws of
Life) which is used to extricate victims from crushed, and locked vehicles, and
has saved people on more than one occasion. Our firemen have also been called by
fire companies outside the area for the use of this tool. In 1978-79 the
Auxiliary also donated $13,000 towards the purchase of a new Emergency Rescue
Truck.
The year 1976
saw the erection of a new two bay sub-station in the Gowans Road area, which is
used to better serve our outlying area. Upon becoming one of the youngest Fire
Chiefs in our history, James V. Ginnitti formed a committee to act upon the
immediate purchase of a new fire truck, after many weeks of discussions with
various truck manufacturers, a new $125,000 American La France Fire Truck, was
ordered, and
will be delivered by December of this year. Plans have already been approved to
purchase another new Fire Truck within the next five years.
The
expenditures and sacrifices that we must make at this time we know will be
rewarded by improved and more efficient services to our community.
Submitted by
Secretary John J. DeNisco
In describing the various hamlets and settlements of our Town, we have called upon our earliest map of 1866 to furnish much of the data. In the accompanying copy of the map Evans really means Evans Center. In the earliest days, other than just Evans, it was known as Wright's Mills because one of the outstanding pioneers of that locale was William Wright, builder of the saw and grist mills of Evans Center, the first in our Town.
When our Town was established, it officially received the name of Evans after David E. Evans of the Holland Land Company. We understand that it was the policy of the Holland Organization to give special consideration to those pioneers who would agree to build mills in suitable areas near waterways in order to attract and stimulate community building. Another of their practices was to give land grants to pioneer church groups.
It is interesting to note that many of our Town's most prominent men in public affairs in the early days came from the Evans Center area and received their basic education in the historic Evans Center School No.2
Before the railroad came, Evans center was veritably the hub of most business and social activities as well as being the "first" in many ways; i.e. first Town Hall and voting place; mills and stores; harness, wagon, coffin, furniture, and blacksmith shops; clothing and shoe stores; three churches; first post office; first general store; a stagecoach stop and horse exchange station; and one hotel. Sounds busy, doesn't it? But ATR (after the railroad ) the scene changed, and business gradually disappeared.
One of the most intriguing observations one could make of a certain segment of this area is the fact that the locale along the Erie Road ( Route 5 ) from Gold Street to the four corners northward remains with but minor alterations exactly as it has been for much more that a century of time with no new homes or buildings.
Talk about the historical restoration of houses, streets, or areas! Here, truly, is a center of human habitation that has remained "restored" from the very beginning of its existence.
