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
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
