HISTORY

The Mayfield Hose Company came into being when a group of citizens of the Borough of Mayfield, seeing the need for fire protection, organized the company in 1898.

Although the earliest records have been lost, the company still retains important documents that place events, locations and membership during the early years. On October 27, 1900 a charter was recorded in the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton for the Russian Fire Company of Mayfield (the name which the company would use for the first 39 years of its existence). Charter members were: Michael Prinda, Andrew Tellep, Steve Pawlick, Peter Senio, John Zdraweski, Michael Kawacz, Maciey Wojkewicz, John Steck, Seman Kostankewcz, Silvester Moszczar, Paul Pawlack, Maxim Yawoszki, Theodore Wachna, Wasil Hopiak, Onufry Lowry, Kostantz Kostankewecz, Albert Wosewski, Peter Kiehart, Akifty Dzwonczyk.

In the early years, the fire apparatus was a hand pulled cart. The location of it moved frequently from barn to barn in the neighborhood. In January of 1909, 7,000 square feet of land on the corner of May and Poplar Streets was leased from the Hillside Coal & Iron Company. The General Manager of Hillside at the time was W.A. May and signing the lease for the Russian Fire Company were its President Andrew Iwanik, and Secretary Pete Korba.

In December of 1928 the company voted to purchase its first motorized apparatus from the Buffalo Appliance Company for $5,200.00. In April of 1929, Nicholas Trembach traveled by train to Buffalo to drive back the new "Buffalo Pumper".

In August of 1935, the company joined the Lackawanna Volunteer Fireman's Association. During 1936 the pumper was kept at Iwanik's Garage on Maple Street. The company re-organized several times during the depression but managed to overcome its financial difficulties. At the company meeting of May 2, 1939, President Michael Kulick proposed a new hose house to be built on the corner of May and Hudson Streets. Work was begun by Ambrose Saniski, W. Sweda, Henry Wilcha and F. Soha under the direction of John Shust. The workers were paid 30 cents per hour. The original building still stands as the meeting hall and offices of the larger fire station in use today.

On November 12th of 1939, the company changed its name from the Russian Hose Company to the Mayfield Hose Company. Some of the members wanted the name to be "East Side Hose Company" but Mayfield Hose won after a vote of the membership was taken.

In July of 1941 the company met for the first time in the new hose house with Samuel Dreater presiding. Prior to this meetings had been held in St. John's Hall on Hill Street.

In March of 1947, a committee was formed to look into a replacement for the Buffalo pumper. Committee members were Samuel Dreater, Andrew Serniak, Peter Kawash, Michael Kulick and John Nakonchni. A 1 1/2 ton Dodge was purchased from Dean Johnson. The old Buffalo chasis was sold to Amos and Frisbe of Archbald for $70.00 and William Cole attached the Buffalo box to the new Dodge chassis.

The company purchased the land the building is on from the Pennsylvania Coal Company in 1949. In the early 50's with efficient equipment and a good building, the company made the mistake of many other organizations, feeling that their goals were reached they curtailed their fund raising activities. This brought about a drop in members during the late 1950's because of this lack of activity and by the year 1960, the twelve remaining members found that they had to contribute funds from their own pockets to keep the company going. They also found that their equipment and building had aged and was in need of repairs and replacement.

Starting in the early 60's, they began small fund raising activities and as the years passed, the activities increased in size and number. As the activities increased, the membership increased.

Some notable events during this period were the addition to the building in 1960. A panel GMC truck was put into operation as an Emergency Vehicle in 1963. New By-Laws were written by John Uram with the help of Ambrose Saniski Sr., Donald Wilcha, Henry WIlcha, Paul Sernak, Joseph Zaccone Sr. and Robert Hine and were put into operation in February 1967. A newsletter which is sent to all members every month informing them of the meeting and records the activities of last month in photos and words started in December 1967. The newsletter also contains a calendar of events for the coming month. The newsletter has been sent out over the last six years without ever missing a month. In June 1968, the company purchased a new Ward La France on a Chevrolet chassis for $23,000 to replace the 1946 Dodge. Ambrose Saniski Sr. and Donald Wilcha drove the new truck from it's plant in Elmira, N.Y. to Mayfield in January 1969. President John Uram accompanied them on the trip. In 1969, a new uniform was adopted by the company and they decided to break the tradition of wearing a fireman's hat and instead selected to make a light blue western hat as part of the uniform. The following year the hat was changed to dark blue. The Mayfield Hose Co. with their "cowboy hats" became well-known in Northeastern Pennsylvania and at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Volunteer Firemen's Convention Parades in 1970, 1971 and 1972 the company won the top prize for membership participation in the parades.

With changes taking place rapidly over a few short years, trained men, new uniforms, new equipment, membership-up, the company decided to stay away from standard arm patched as they did with their hats and originated their own symbol to be identified with: the now well-known red flame with the golden numeral one became uniform January 1971.

In our 75th year (1973) the company purchased the land bounded by Husdon, Pine, May and Maple Streets and planned to start in 1974 to expand the building by 100 feet.