Hose training at the Lake Placid Club (Photo — Lake Placid/North Elba Historical Society)

The Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department has a long and storied history starting on June 22, 1905 with three – yes three – fire companies.

The Sentinel Hose Company was located where the American Legion is now, Newman Hose Company located at the former Lake Placid Club site, and the Whiteface Hook and Ladder Company located where the Lakeside Motor Inn is now.

The first chief was G. B. Merriam and the three companies met in the North Elba Town Hall.

Plans to build a brick fire station weren’t approved until 1912, and the first fire truck wasn’t purchased until 1917.

The three companies merged in department with 67 members in 1919. Time passed and the department collaborated with Melvil Dewey at the Lake Placid Club on equipment, new fire trucks were delivered, the fire department band was organized, and the Panthers racing team formed all before 1936.

The original fire department is now occupied by Cunningham’s Ski Barn. (Photo — Lake Placid/North Elba Historical Society)

The LPVFD’s dedication to protecting the people and property of Lake Placid dates back 110 years and continues to today.

Because of their indispensable and selfless service, the Historical Society chose to focus our 2015-2016 museum exhibit on the department.

Parmelee Tolkan, Historical Society trustee and Museum chairperson, has this to say about her inspiration for the exhibit:

“I was interested in the LPVFD because of the 110-year history and the multigenerational family members who volunteer. For instance, the current chief, Torry Hoffmann’s grandfather also was a chief. I also felt that the LPVFD reflects the tight knit community of Lake Placid and the helping hands that are always extended in times of difficulty. I think the biggest surprise for me is the number of hours of training that are required to become a volunteer and the additional hours that are needed every year to continue to serve in the Department.”

What people can expect to see during this two-year exhibit cycle is vastly different from the mostly photographic display at the museum in 2013-2014. This exhibition is very object heavy as there are lots of tools and equipment required to fight fires.

1922 American LaFrance fire truck (Photo — Lake Placid/North Elba Historical Society)

We have ladder carts, uniforms, fire extinguishers, hats, emergency gear plus huge, exciting fire photographs. Something fun that I learned through research is that before there was an integrated emergency alert system, the wives of firefighters were called Call Girls and would be the relay people between the firefighters and those in need of help. Many women in our community volunteered for that work and that title.

So many beautiful and historic properties have been damaged by or lost to fire and this department was at every one of them.

Do some of these sound familiar?

-George and Bliss (1919)

-Ruisseaumont boathouse (1925)

-Fortune’s (1936)

-McComber’s (1944)

-Northwoods Inn (1946)

-Club Powerhouse (1948)

-Brewster Mill (1953)

-Lakeside Inn (1959)

-Raeoil (1960)

-Handlebar (1965)

-Grandview Annex (1966)

-Hotel Marcy (1966)

Many others more recently including the famous Lake Placid Club fires. Many photos of these disasters will be featured during the exhibit.

The Historical Society wishes to thank the Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department and local community members for loaning us such a illustrative and meaningful items to be displayed.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, June 18.

The History Museum at the former Lake Placid train station will open for the season on Saturday, May 23. For more information, visit lakeplacidhistory.com.