Corte Madera Fire Department History

Corte Madera Fire Department History

Getting Organized
Rustic life becomes more suburban

Residents moving over from the city clamor for
up-to-date public safety services and better utilities

Hose carts for firefighting,
stored in garage on the hill.

Summer cottages were eventually joined by new homes built for year-around use.
Permanent residents were eager to have the same amenities they had enjoyed when they
lived in San Francisco.

Before long, some of Corte Madera's rustic, rural qualities gave way to the impetus for street lights, sanitary sewers, graded roads, and water mains for household and fire protection use.

Utility services, opposed by those who were against taxation and/or urbanization, had enough support to win approval at special elections held to set tax rates and elect residents to run the various service districts.

Up to this point, household water came either from wells, springs, or was purchased when the water wagon came around. In fact, the notorious James McCue's first entrepreneurial endeavor in Marin County involved selling water from his wagon in 1863.

By 1910 there were enough year-around residents to make it profitable for someone who owned a source of water to lay pipes and sell it through a local distribution system. Several major landowners had established private water companies, channeling springs on their properties into large reservoirs. Springs filled these reservoirs with a sufficient supply to serve all those residents not fortunate enough to have their own wells.

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The Chapman Water Works produced a flow of 10,000 gallons a day from a tunnel .. Edgar Chapman had dug in the hills behind his home on Corte Madera Ridge. William Bradbury also built a large reservoir that was fed by a spring coming off the hill.

The purity and quality of Marin's water was so cherished by San Franciscans that they transported it across the bay in waterboats.

Eventually the Marin Municipal Water District took over all the smaller companies, extending
pipelines throughout the region.

A vigorous volunteer fire department was formed in 1908 and provided fire protection with a chemical engine and two hosecarts. One of the hosecarts was stationed adjacent to Mahood's Store, in a station erected for $214, and the other one was kept at Roberts' Garage on Redwood Avenue at Morningside. Corte Madera's first fire truck was a small Chevrolet Pope Hartford acquired in 1916.

Twelve years later, voters approved a bond issue to purchase an American LaFrance pumper.
At 500 gallons per minute, it was the pride and glory of the volunteer fire department in 1928.
The volunteers incorporated in 1930 and raised funds to build a new fire station to house the truck on the corner of Willow and First Streets (now Tamalpais Drive). For the next forty years, they provided virtually all of the fire protection to the town.

Members of the Corte Madera Volunteer Fire Department in front of Station No. 1, between
Mahood's and Holy Innocents church, about 1916.

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The Corte Madera Fire Department team had new baseball uniforms when this photograph was taken in 1913.
Members of the department played teams from other towns on a field at the corner of the marsh,
now the corner of Tamolpais Drive and PixleyAvenue. That was once the spot where Dr. James McCue
had a race track where he exercised the trick horses featured in his traveling circus.

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Bill Nelson, shown here in 1966, was a member of the Corte Madera Volunteer Fire Department
for fifty years. He contributed to the life of the community in many ways, including leading the way
toward getting Town Park established. Both BillNelson and his brother Frank served as chiefs of the
police and fire departments in Corte Madera.

Cards like this were distributed to every household, so that when the
fire whistle blew, everyone would know what part of town was involved
and could respond appropriately.

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Volunteer firemen in 1931, at ceremonial groundbreaking for new fire station.

First fire truck at Station No.1, with Town dog Laddie.

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Corte Madera Volunteer Fire Department members at groundbreaking ceremony
for new fire station at corner of First Street and Willow Avenue in 1931.

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New fire station at the comer of Willow Avenue and First Street (ramalpais Drive), constructed in 1931 with funds raised
by the volunteer firemen. The elected fire chief was a Town employee, and the Town leased office space for the chief from
the volunteers. The building housed the Town's fire engines until 1966, when a new public safely building was constructed at Tamalpais and Pixley.

Former fire station, sold by the Volunteer Fire Department to the Town in 1966. Since that time,
it has served as the Corte Madera Town Hall.

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Frank Nelson joined the 20-man volunteerfire department in 1934 and served CorteMadera withhonor for forty years,
retiring as the town's fire chief in 1974. He was appointed chief of police and tax collector in 1943, and served at various
times as town clerk, building inspector, plumbing inspector, electrical inspector, street superintendent, and poundmaster,
as well as being chief of volunteers for many years. In 1969 he became the town's first fullfime paid fire chief. Here,
Chief Frank Nelson is shown accepting a commendation from the State Senator Peter Behr.

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