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"Late in 1879 a fire bell was purchased with funds subscribed by merchants and installed on a twenty-foor tower on a lot at the store on the corner of Main and Spring streets. Then began the ringing of the curfew bell nightly at 7:45.

In 1882 the town bot from Thos Sheehan a lot on Oak Avenue, and early in 1883 the first town hall was completed. Upstairs room was used for town trustee meetings and as the justice court; lower floor was fir fire equipment. The fire bell was installed on a tower on the NW side, and a 'calaboose' was moved to the rear of the lot, from its former location on Pope Street, near Main. It consisted of two cells 7X7 feet square each.

Hose Cart No. 1 was purchased in 1878; Hook and Ladder Truck No. 1 in 1884, and Americus Hose Cart No. 2 (with 7-foot wheels) in 1886. It was built on the town lot a stone jail building, steel lined; it was 25X25 feet square, had 4 cells 6X7 feet in size, with a corridor running across the front and down each side. It cost $1600.

For a time Americus Hose Cart was housed in a building at about Main Street, then in 1889 to have the hose carts handy, they were moved to a frame building adjoining the Odd Fellows' Hall on the NW, with firemen's club rooms at the rear. The town hall was so drafty and cold that the town trustees held meetings in the firemen's quarters.

 
In 1880, the Vintners' Association had purchased a lot on Church Street and in July of that year the Winegrower's Hall was completed. Winemen and grape growers held frequent meetings to discuss various matters having to do with the vineyard industry and the manufacture and marketing of wines. The upper floor was rented to the grange. In 1891 the town purchased the Winegrowers' Hall for $1000 and moved it to a lot on the SW side of Main Street about (blank) feet from Adams Street and converted it to use as a town hall, with meeting rooms on the second floor and space for fire equipment on the ground floor. The old town hall on Oak Avenue was sold for $215 to A Goodman, who moved the building to a lot adjoining the new town hall, formerly occupied by a cooper shop and fitted up the building as a photographic studio; occupied by Blakesly & Healy.

When the present town hall was completed in (blank) these former town headquarters were sold to the Bank of America, by (blank) they were demolished, along with other buildings to make room for a new bank building."

Fire Dept.

St. Helena Fire Co. #1 was organized August 28, 1878.

The officers for that year were J. Haskins, foreman; and E.J. Levy, secretary. For 1879, S. Risley, foreman; W.A. Bingham, assistant foreman; and J.A. Allison, secretary. The present officers are: S. Risley, foreman; J.A. Allison, assistant foreman; and W.A. Bingham, secretary.

The appliances of the Company consists of one hose-cart, six hundred feet of hose, hooks, ladders, lanterns, axes, etc. The Company now numbers twenty-two members. There are ten (10) hydrants in S.H., and the head of water is strong enough to force a stream over the highest building in town.

Hose Co.

L. Duckworth, George Fountain, W.W. Coffield, Jack Tainter, L.A. Pellet, Frank Zumwalt, R. March, A.N. Bell, Angus McMillan, Wm. Kohler, Charles Swartout, Joe Cox, Jake Lockbaum.

From Art Carr retyped exactly as written 11/7/95 by Gail