Organized on August 30, 1949 with Clyde Mattheson, President; Milton Lyons Vice President; Donald Phinney, Secretary, and Robert Wilder, Sr., Treasurer. John Hallowell was chosen to serve as the first Fire Chief. A 1931 Diamond T. pumper truck, with hose and accessories, was purchased for $1,500. Gardner's old grain shed, on the bank of the Dennys River, served as the fire station until 1950 when the Department moved into the old drug store at the foot of School (New Road) Hill. Incorporated later that year, Robert Wilder, Sr., was elected Fire Chief, a position he held until his death on December 19, 1985. As time went on, the necessity of a larger fire station in a more suitable location became evident. In 1962 Max Gardner donated a plot of land, and the St. Regis Paper company donated trees to be cut into lumber sufficient to build a 26' x 50' station. Within six years the acquisition of additional equipment and the need for a meeting room prompted the beginning of a 30' x 50' addition to the original structure. By 1966 the Dennys River Volunteer Fire Department had thirty members, each paying one dollar a year in dues. In 1974 membership had grown to thirty-six and there were seven fire-fighting vehicles. In 1966 the Fire Department's services were expanded by the arrival of a well-equipped 1959 Cadillac ambulance, given by the Juska-Mahar family. Within two years, the ambulance had responded to one hundred twenty-six calls and travelled to Eastport, Calais, Machias, Bangor, and Augusta, serving surrounding communities as well as Dennysville. It was followed by new models. The gift of the first ambulance on May 7, 1966, prompted the Fire Department set up a Volunteer First Aid Squad, which has responded to emergencies in the Dennys River area to this day.

Photos for Map

Dennysville Fire Truck in 1951