GRACE FOUNDATION OF TAYLORS ISLAND, MD
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    • 1920's - photos
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    • Geological Survey
    • Radio Program Transcript - 1969
  • Battle of the Ice Mound
    • Oral History of Battle of Ice Mound (as memorialized in 1931)
    • Audio Description of Battle
    • Bicentennial celebration of the battle >
      • Recognition for a well planned event
      • USPS recognition of Battle of Ice Mound Bicentennial
    • Floeberg 1936
    • British on Punch Island Creek
    • BRITISH ON SLAUGHTER CREEK
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      • MD HISTORICAL TRUST INFO
      • The Story of the Bell
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      • Historical Marker
      • MD HISTORIC TRUST INFO
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      • Interior photos
      • MD HISTORICAL TRUST INFO
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      • MD HISTORICAL TRUST INFO
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      • Lane Church Images
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  • Notable Islanders
    • Early Islanders
    • Samuel M Travers
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      • Family Burial Ground of Elijah Tall
    • THOMAS BROOME TRAVERS >
      • Thomas Broome Travers (genealogy)
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  • Schools & Students
    • School used as museum
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    • Old Store at bridge
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    • The Tea Set
    • The Story of Polly
    • Taylors Island During Prohibition
    • Clara Bow
    • The Tale of the Swan Decoy
  • Lists of Business Persons & Farmers
    • 1887
    • 1894-95 >
      • Wm. D. Travers
    • 1908-09
    • 1915-17
  • Taylors Island Ship Building
    • Travis Spicer & Sons Shipbuilders
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      • Moses Henry Geoghegan
  • Slaughter Creek Marina
    • Coast Guard Station Photo
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    • James Island photos
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    • James Island School
    • Sika Deer of James Island
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  • Remembrances from bygone days
    • History by Laura Robinson Navy -1977
    • Old mode of transportation
  • Grace Foundation History
    • Senator George L. Radcliffe
    • The Promise
    • 1st Meeting of Grace Foundation May 13, 1951
  • Membership Information
    • 2022 Membership Letter
    • 2020 Membership Letter
    • 2020 Membership Roster
    • Membership Application
    • 2019 Membership Letter
    • 2015 Membership Letter
  • Champion Trees of Taylors Island
    • Bicentennial Tree
    • Persimmon Tree
    • Post Oak
    • Trees harvested to be used as roads
  • Taylors Island Volunteer Fire Company
    • TIVFC articles
    • TIVFC Photos over the years
    • Tragic Fire
  • Transpeninsular Line
    • 1971 Article on Transpeninsular Line
  • Home
  • About Taylors Island
    • History of Taylors Island
    • Directions and Driving Tour
    • Old Post Office
    • Tour Pamphlet
    • Self-Guiding Nature Trail
    • Map showing Taylors Island from 1670
    • 1877 Map of Taylors Island
    • Historic Structures >
      • Becky Phipps Cannon >
        • 1912 Balt. Sun Article - Cannon Blown Apart
        • Cannon re-dedication 1999
        • Cannon - MD Historical Trust Info
      • Historic Old School House >
        • Historic Schoolhouse (MD Historical Trust Info)
      • Ridgeton Hall >
        • Ridgeton Hall - Maryland Historical Trust Info >
          • Judge Levi Travers
      • General Store >
        • General Store (MD Historic Trust Info)
        • Christmas Eve General Store Tradition
      • Mulberry Grove >
        • The History of Mulberry Grove >
          • Article About Mulberry Grove
          • Silk Worms of Mulberry Grove
          • Mulberry Grove - MD Historic Trust Info
      • Spicer Bungalow
      • Kirwan Farm >
        • Maryland Historical Trust Info - Kirwin Farm
      • "The LeCompte" a/k/a "Cator" house >
        • Cator-LeCompte House (MD Historic Trust Info)
      • Other Structures (inventoried by the Maryland Historical Trust)
      • Old Windmill >
        • Windmill locations 1877
      • The Canning House >
        • Tomato Picking Time
    • 1920's - photos
    • Visit by sitting U.S. President
    • Geological Survey
    • Radio Program Transcript - 1969
  • Battle of the Ice Mound
    • Oral History of Battle of Ice Mound (as memorialized in 1931)
    • Audio Description of Battle
    • Bicentennial celebration of the battle >
      • Recognition for a well planned event
      • USPS recognition of Battle of Ice Mound Bicentennial
    • Floeberg 1936
    • British on Punch Island Creek
    • BRITISH ON SLAUGHTER CREEK
  • Churches
    • Grace Episcopal Church >
      • Interior of Grace Church
      • MD HISTORICAL TRUST INFO
      • The Story of the Bell
    • Chapel of Ease >
      • Interior Chapel
      • Interior Chapel from balcony
      • Historical Marker
      • MD HISTORIC TRUST INFO
    • Bethlehem "Brick" Church >
      • Interior photos
      • MD HISTORICAL TRUST INFO
      • Ministers of Bethlehem Church 1820--1900
      • Church Minutes (selected minutes 1860, 1873 & 1876)
    • Chaplain Memorial >
      • Interior Photos Chaplain Memorial Church
      • MD HISTORICAL TRUST INFO
    • Lane Methodist Episcopal Church >
      • Lane Church Images
      • MD HISTORIC TRUST INFO
    • Video Tour of Churches
    • History of Island Methodism
  • Cemeteries
    • Grace Foundation Graveyard Policy
    • Bethlehem Church Cemetery Records
    • Grace Episcopal Church Burial Records
    • Lane Cemetery
    • Robson Cemetery >
      • Robson Cemetery Grave Photos
    • Hoopers Point Cemetery
  • Notable Islanders
    • Early Islanders
    • Samuel M Travers
    • HON. LEVI D. TRAVERS
    • Dr. Washington A Smith
    • J. Hooper Bosley
    • Tall Family >
      • Family Burial Ground of Elijah Tall
    • THOMAS BROOME TRAVERS >
      • Thomas Broome Travers (genealogy)
    • Revolution
    • T. Reynolds Carpenter
  • Schools & Students
    • School used as museum
    • Schoolhouse MD Historical Trust Info
  • African American Schoolhouse
    • African American School - MD Historic Trust Info
  • Slaughter Creek & The Bridge
    • Old Store at bridge
    • Bridge to Meekins Neck
    • Ferry to Meekins Neck
  • Island Folklore
    • The Tea Set
    • The Story of Polly
    • Taylors Island During Prohibition
    • Clara Bow
    • The Tale of the Swan Decoy
  • Lists of Business Persons & Farmers
    • 1887
    • 1894-95 >
      • Wm. D. Travers
    • 1908-09
    • 1915-17
  • Taylors Island Ship Building
    • Travis Spicer & Sons Shipbuilders
    • Historic Ships of Taylors Island >
      • Moses Henry Geoghegan
  • Slaughter Creek Marina
    • Coast Guard Station Photo
  • James Island
    • James Island photos
    • James Island sketches
    • James Island Videos
    • Aerial Photos of James Island
    • James Island Articles
    • James Island School
    • Sika Deer of James Island
    • James Island Restoration
  • Remembrances from bygone days
    • History by Laura Robinson Navy -1977
    • Old mode of transportation
  • Grace Foundation History
    • Senator George L. Radcliffe
    • The Promise
    • 1st Meeting of Grace Foundation May 13, 1951
  • Membership Information
    • 2022 Membership Letter
    • 2020 Membership Letter
    • 2020 Membership Roster
    • Membership Application
    • 2019 Membership Letter
    • 2015 Membership Letter
  • Champion Trees of Taylors Island
    • Bicentennial Tree
    • Persimmon Tree
    • Post Oak
    • Trees harvested to be used as roads
  • Taylors Island Volunteer Fire Company
    • TIVFC articles
    • TIVFC Photos over the years
    • Tragic Fire
  • Transpeninsular Line
    • 1971 Article on Transpeninsular Line
GRACE FOUNDATION OF TAYLORS ISLAND, MD
TAYLORS ISLAND VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY (TIVFC)
Origin and early years
(Recorded by John S. "Pat" Neild in 2019)

    Taylors Island, as with most Chesapeake Bay islands, was originally somewhat isolated from the mainland communities. James Island and Taylors Island were connected by land, and often functioned as one community. The earliest telephone communications were on a "party line". Each customer could listen to any other person who was using the system, and often did. Eavesdropping on the party line was great entertainment for some of the residents. There was no electricity on the island until about 1946, except for a few well-to-do people who had electricity generators. Artesian wells provided a natural constant flow of water, but water had to be hand-pumped or carried to wherever it was needed.

    Much of the social life on the Island centered around the elementary school and the churches. With no other community building, the Taylors Island school was the place to meet. The school building had a large open second floor where school meetings and church suppers were held on a regular schedule.  

    The islanders had no fire companies or emergency alert systems except that fire alarms were transmitted by word of mouth on their telephone "party line". If a fire was detected, the closest person to a phone sounded the alarm on the party line, and every available person flocked to the site of the fire to help. If there was a pond or other source of water nearby, they formed a "bucket line" to deliver water by the bucket full to the fire. If it was a roof fire, men climbed a ladder and others handed up the buckets of water that were then thrown on the fire. Needless to say, many times this was too little and to late, and homes were lost.   

    Prior to 1957, there was no mechanical equipment on Taylors Island to fight fires. The arrival of electricity, ten years earlier, and better communication with other areas of the County, local citizens started thinking about ways to improve their ability to fight fires.  By the 1950s, residents in many small communities joined together and resolved to build fire companies. Taylors Island was one of these.
    The first Taylors Island Volunteer Fire Company President, Thurman Jones, had his picture shown and was quoted in a news article in the Daily Banner in November, 1968. This reported an event celebrating that their original mortgage was paid off and "burned". Thurman said that the Fire Company had incurred a debt of $10,000 in 1957 in order to begin building their fire house. Monroe Murphy of the Maryland National Bank had presented them with a certificate at that ceremony stating that their debt was paid in full.
    A news release in the Banner newspaper on August 3, 1959 showed a picture of the new firehouse, nearly completed, that they started building in the fall of 1958. The article stated that, previously, the island residents had to depend on the fire companies from Madison, Church Creek, and Cambridge. It was predicted that the new firehouse would also provide for much of the community's social activities.
    Island residents united to support the new fire company. The men acquired some used equipment for fire fighting, and the women supported by various fund-raisers. At that time, they received little or no State or County financial support, so the local communities had to raise the necessary money for operations and equipment. One main source were the "oyster suppers" that drew crowds. They were then able to have the community suppers, fire company and church, in the new firehouse rather than at the school. These became major social functions and were looked forward to by people both local and from other areas. The suppers continued regularly over the years until public funds made them mostly unnecessary during the last half of the 1900s.
    Some notes during those years showed how important the suppers were. A letter from the Taylors Island Methodist Church in 1968 thanked the fire company for serving a communion breakfast to more than 125 people in 1/2 hour. An advertisement on the local radio station in 1968 stated that the menu would be oysters, ham, cole slaw, potato salad, sliced beets, hot buttered peas, rolls and coffee, with home cooked pies and cakes at a slight extra cost. The cost in 1968 was $1.75 for adults and $1.00 for children under 12. That charge was increased to $2.00 in 1970, and $3.00 in 1974. Suppers were served family style and "all you could eat".
    The early members of the TIVFC included those who had helped build the fire house. Members operated the equipment, gave financial and personal support, helped serve the fire company public suppers, and eagerly enjoyed their new community togetherness. Below are some of the earliest supporters and officers.
                                            1957                         1959                         1960
President             Milton Shenton       David Sears            George Harrison
V. President        Travers Spicer          Thurman Jones    Thurman Jones
Secretary             J. S. "Pat" Neild        Phil Hipple              Phil Hipple    
Treas.                     Thurman Jones        A. L. Jones               A.  L. Jones
Chief                       Earl Hughes              Tom Spillman         Tom Spillman
Asst. Chief            Jack Reeves              Joe Lambdin          Joe Lambdin
Engineer                 None            None            None
Asst. Engr.              None            None            None

                                           1961                          1962                                1963
President             Travers Spicer         Travers Spicer           Reynolds Carpenter
V. President        George Harrison    Thurman Jones       Thurman Jones
Secretary             Phil Hipple                 Phil Hipple                 Roy Riggins
​Treas.                      A. L. Jones                   A. L. Jones                 A. L. Jones
Chief                       Tom Spillman                   ?                               Sonny Hughes
Asst. Chief           Joe Lambdin                     ?                               Tom Spillman
Engineer                        ?                                      ?                               Travers Spicer    
Asst. Engr.                     ?                                      ?                               John Darlington    

                1964
President        Reynolds Carpenter
V. President        Thurman Jones
Secretary        Roy Riggins
Treas.            A. L. Jones
Chief            Sonny Hughes
Asst. Chief        Tom Spillman
Engineer        Travers Spicer
Asst. Engr.        Roy Riggins
Ambulance Capt.    Roy Riggins

The Taylors Island Homemakers Club was very active those days, and could easily have been called the TIVFC Auxiliary. They consisted of most of the women on the Island and they were involved in most of the fire company's social activities. Most important to the fire company, their members helped organize and serve the fire company's suppers that were the fire company's primary source of funding. A few of their most active members were Ida Shenton, Jennie Wheatley, Patsy Carpenter, Mabel Neild, Ann Jones, Kitty Hipple, Laura Navy, Catherine Mulfinger, Katherine Spicer, Evelyn Raabe, Hester Neild, Mary Hastings, Edith Boileau, Elizabeth Halgreen, Myrtle Ruark, Ann  Neild, and others.
​

    The Taylors Island Volunteer Fire Company continued to thrive over the years. An addition was built to the original building to accommodate an increasing amount of fire-fighting equipment, and current fire fighters now must undergo specialized training. Much has changed since the days of the "bucket brigades"!
Pat Neild
2019  

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