Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
In 1875, the Corporation of the Village of Orillia, having acquired the necessary population of 2,000 to become a town, elected a Mayor, Reeve, Deputy Reeve, and nine councillors to office.
One of their first projects was to purchase a lot at 27 Peter St. N. and build a fire hall about 40 feet by 60 feet with a 55-foot tower. Twenty years later, in 1896, Council contracted local builder J.R. Eaton to tear down the first building and construct a new two-storey, solid brick hall with a full basement and heated tower for drying the hoses. That building is still standing today.
In this 1948 staff photo taken in front of the station, is the recently purchased 128-gallon American La France pumper truck.
Top Row, from left, is Dvr. M. K. McFadden, A. Srigley, A. Payne, Capt. S. Dougan, Chief Lee Edwards, Dep. Chief Dan MacLeish, Lieut. H. Cripps, Lieut. R. Cripps, A. Gray, Dvr. H. McKelvey.
Bottom Row: E. Leigh, P. Wilson, R. Burrell, H. Page, F. Parks and V. Menhenitt.
Lee Edwards was only the third Fire Chief in Orillia up to that time. The first Chief was Robert Mainer (1875 to 1896), followed by Joseph Blacker 1896 to 1940. Edwards was Chief from 1940 to 1959 and was replaced by Dan MacLeish.
The fire truck in the photo was purchased and restored by the Orillia Shrine Club.
