317 Water--Good Will Fire Co.

The Goodwill Fire Company was formed in 1879 but didn't officially incorporate until 1882 when land was conveyed to the inhabitants of the Town of Belvidere. The rear hall/kitchen was added c. 1919 and has been the location of numerous weddings and events.

A hose carriage was purchased by the town in 1879 to connect to fire hydrants in town using whatever pressure was available. With the addition of the hose carriage, property loss from fire dropped from 78% to 18%. But getting the hose carriage to the fire was a challenge: the firefighters had to pull the heavy carriage themselves, and sometimes they would conveniently show up to the station just a little too late. Fines for members not pulling the apparatus were then levied. Problem solved!

In 1884, the total equipment owned by the company was 800 ft. of fabric hose, 900 ft. of rubber hose, 3 hydrant wrenches, 6 spanners, 2 hose jackets, 2 lanterns, 1 trumpet, 11 rubber coats, 11 hats, and one axe. For an 1882 fire, firefighters responded by word of mouth since there was some trouble with the rope to the bell. An electric bell was installed in the chief's home in 1892.

The worst fire in town was in Dec. 1905, when the Warren Woodworking Plant on the Pequest was engulfed after a store across the alley caught fire. Many stores downtown burned or were severly damaged. The fire was put out, but all the woodworking stock was lost by either fire or water, including two train carloads of finished mantels that were ready to ship.