Friday, January 17, 2025
The Excelsior Hook & Ladder Company No. 1, the cornerstone of the Freeport Fire Department, is marking its 150th anniversary this month with the release of a historical journal that captures the storied legacy of the organization and its volunteers.
The company, founded in 1874 as a bucket brigade to combat the ever-present threat of fire in a rapidly growing Freeport, has evolved into the bedrock for the community’s safety and protection. Excelsior was formed before the 1892 incorporation of the Village of Freeport and prior to the establishment of the Freeport Fire Department in 1893.
Regina Feeney, Freeport’s village historian, emphasized the critical role Excelsior played in shaping the community.
“Our Freeport ancestors lived with fear, a fear of fire,” Feeney explained in an article documenting the company’s history. “Everything was made from wood … everything was combustible.”
The fear of fire was so intense that local farmers initially resisted the arrival of the railroad, fearing fiery ash from locomotives. Despite these concerns, the South Shore Rail Road came to Freeport in 1867, and within seven years, Excelsior Hook & Ladder Company was founded, with its first apparatus kept in a shed behind Mead’s Bakery on Main Street.
A devastating schoolhouse fire put the company’s heroism to the test in January 1893. Firefighters battled the blaze with limited water resources and innovative tactics, including using snowballs to extinguish embers and protect nearby structures.
Three firefighters were hurt, including Andrew Taft and Thomas Wright, who suffered serious injuries when a ladder collapsed.
“That fire was a wake-up call to Freeport,” Feeney said. “Lessons learned led to the establishment of a water department, (which led to) the creation of a power and light company — today’s Freeport Electric. “And, most importantly, if Freeport was going to grow, we needed to ensure fire protection throughout the village, thus the establishment of the Freeport Fire Department.”
To commemorate 150 years of service, Excelsior, which now has 63 members, has launched a year’s worth of celebrations, including a dinner honoring the company’s members on Dec. 5, with photographs capturing the legacy of multi-generational firefighters like the Mauersberger family, whose lineage of service dates back nearly a century.
The celebrations will culminate with the release of a historical journal later this month, including photographs and stories documenting the company’s evolution from a bucket brigade to a modern fire department. For lifelong firefighters like Chief Donald Ray Mauersberger, who has served for 61 years, the occasion is deeply personal.
“It’s in our DNA,” he said. “This is what we do. (Maybe I didn’t understand that at) the beginning when I was 18 years old, but I certainly get it today. It’s family, it’s family to us.” Mauersberger’s father previously served as fire chief, as did his father before him, and Mauersberger’s brother has also served in the fire department for 60 years.
Mauersberger added that being a part of a fire department, especially for the younger generation, could instill a sense of discipline and “give them a direction in life, because on the fire ground, when someone tells you to do something, you don’t ask why. That’ll force you to grow up.”
Advancements in equipment and technology have transformed firefighting over the years, from early bucket brigades to modern tools like thermal cameras and air masks. However, the spirit of dedication and service remains unchanged.
“Tradition is a very, very significant part of the fire department, and that tradition and honor,” Raymond Maguire, executive director of the Freeport Fire Department, said. “And upholding that tradition and honor is something that the members of the fire department take very seriously to carry on (what) our forefathers have left for us and to basically make the fire department better than how you left it.”
As the Freeport Fire Department looks to the future, its volunteers remain committed to evolving with the times while honoring their rich legacy.
“We’re proud that for 150 years the brave men and women of the Excelsior Company have answered the call of Freeport residents to help keep them safe,” Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy said. “We know they’ll continue to do so for another 150 years. So, if you see a firefighter today, be sure to say ‘Thank you’ for all that they do to keep us all safe.”
For more information on how to support the journal or to learn about Excelsior Hook & Ladder Company No. 1’s history, visit its Facebook page or the firehouse, at 76 Church St
