Company History

The Lincoln Fire Company was formed in 1908 by a group of civic minded citizens who met at the Willard Park Hotel. The incorporation papers were filed and recorded on April 23, 1908. In that same month, the governing body of the borough passed an ordinance that established the borough of Totowa Fire Department and included the Lincoln Fire Company as one of the 2 original fire companies in the Borough. In July of 1908, a committee was appointed for elections for a Chief and Assistant Chief. The first elected Chief was George McCrea and the first Assistant Chief was Thomas Dunkerly.

In the early years of the Company, the engine was attached to passing wagons to get to a fire. The engine carried fire pails, ladders, lanterns, hose, and the firefighters gear. Whenever available, citizens who owned horses would bring them to the firehouse, hitch them to the apparatus, and bring it to the fire scene. For this favor, a citizen was paid the sum of $2.00.

Lincoln's headquarters have been located in what is now know as the Old Borough Hall since it acquired space on the ground floor of the building on Lincoln Avenue somewhere around 1910. The front part of the building housed the apparatus and the rear part of the building provided room for the company members to have their meetings. Additional space was acquired when the Police Department moved to the new Municipal building in 1969. The meeting room had been remodeled and serves as a place to hold social functions as well as meetings.

Through the years, Lincoln has had a number of different fire trucks. Our present members recall a REO, a 1937 Ford, a 1950 Mack, a 1967 Mack Thermadyne, and our present 1986 Mack Pumper. Before the 1920's, it appears that the company was equipped with horse drawn apparatus.

Active members have averaged around 30 members in recent years membership also includes junior members, social members, honorary members and life members. Many of our members are second, third and forth generation of members at Lincoln. This is something in which we take great pride.

In the future, as in the past, Lincoln will continue to be "First at a fire, Last to leave the scene, and Always there."