The Fire-Hose House
The Village of Empire was incorporated in 1895 and a short time later, in February of 1898, Empire purchased 500 feet of hose and two nozzles to begin the Empire Volunteer Fire Department. In April of that year, the village built a small building to store hoses and other equipment on the east side of LaRue street just north of Front Street. That July, for $700, the village purchased all the water pipe and fire equipment from Lake Ann after a fire destroyed much of that village. This included a hand-pulled hose cart and other items.
Thus began the Empire Public Water system operated by the Empire Lumber Company. The village paid $500 annually for this fire-fighting service.
At this time, the village had underground piping, fire hydrants and equipment to pull hoses around town to the nearest hydrant to fight fire, a significant leap forward in fire fighting ability.
In 1908, the village purchased an additional 500 feet of hose (at 40 cents per foot) and an additional hose cart.
In July of 1911, a new 20' X 40' hose house was built on lot 21 on the south side of Front Street (where the library sits today).
A large fire bell was purchased in 1918 for warning volunteers of a fire. This bell was also paraded about town and rang vigorously to celebrate the end of World War I.
In 1947, a fire siren replaced this bell, and the original bell is on display at our museum complex.
In 1949, Empire took the huge step into the modern world by purchasing two 1917 Seagrave fire trucks. These were beautiful, gleaming, gas-powered, chain-driven, extremely noisy machines that were envied by everyone in town — except for those volunteers who drove them. They were very top heavy and had no protection whatsoever — and yes, one was rolled over in an accident once!
In 1950, the fire-hose house was moved back on the property (to the south) to make room for a new fire house and later a newer fire truck followed, located on Front Street where the hose house once stood. The old hose house was then used as a village council chamber and other various uses.
In 1976, the newly formed Empire Area Heritage Group was allowed to turn the south half of this building into our first museum.
In 1982, a new fire station was opened on LaCore street, allowing the museum group to take over the old hose house. The Glen Lake Community Library took over the fire house on Front street and remodeled it into a beautiful community library.
Plans subsequently commenced to expand the library, and the museum was offered the opportunity to relocate the hose house to the museum grounds.
This was accomplished in 1996, and the hose house remains there today. The south half of the building showcases many of the original hand pulled hose carts and other fire-fighting displays.
The north half of the building houses the Diane E. Fischer research center, which the museum uses for administrative offices and recordkeeping.
The museum maintains historical obituary and library records in fireproof cabinets. Many oral interviews, both audio and video, are also stored here.
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