Mariaville Volunteer Fire Department Inc

"If you built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” Henry David Thoreau, Walden

The Mariaville Volunteer Fire Department began as “castles in the air,” when concerned citizens dreamed of having a local fire department. By 1978 they were ready to begin to put “foundations” under their dreams. On May 15 a small group gathered at the Mariaville Town Hall to discuss their ideas with state forest rangers Foster Gray and Rodney Grant. At their June 7 the following officers: Chief: Cliff Smith; Assistant Chiefs: Knowlton Salisbury and Robert Frost; Captain: Lewis Austin; Lieutenant: Scott Austin; and Clerk and Treasurer: Dianne Fellis. The State Forestry Service placed a truck on permanent loan to the new department. The members could use the three or four Indian pumps owned by the town.

Planning for a fire house got underway early in 1979. In February Robert Frost, Gordon Fellis and Fred Boehme were appointed as a Building committee. In April St. Regis Company gave them 5000 feet of logs. The records mention that the men were cutting logs in July. Robert Frost donated land for the building site and the deed was accepted in November 1979. By August 1980 a concrete pad for the building was in place. Over the next months, the members worked on the building. They purchased 24 red folding chairs and a kit for making a barrel stove. On December 6, 1982, the department held its first meeting at the fire house.

In 1986 10 members each donated $100.00 to purchase a model#700, 12 cylinder, 1952, open cab American LaFrance for $1,000.00. This was the first truck purchased by the fire department.

In 1988 some of the members were trained as First Responders and in 1999 members became licensed Emergency Medical Technicians.

We still have “castles in the air.” One of these “castles” is a new and improved firehouse. While we are dreaming of improvements for the future, we are working to put foundations under the dreams of all that would make the department the very best possible.