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members: James Beebe, Benjamin T. Clark, George M. Curtis, Jr., John R. Demarest, John W. Gardner, Clarence Hall, Robert Harris, Frederick J. Hine, George T. Hine, George Johnson, William A. Knight, Chester B. Neal, Donald Page and Alton T. Terrell, Jr. The first fire chief was William A. Knight, who served until 1945 when Christian Winkle, Jr., succeeded him.

The abandoned railroad station on Orange Center Road served as the first firehouse of the new association. The volunteer firemen decided to raise funds by sponsoring a carnival. The first one took place on August 25, 26 and 27, 1927, and it has become an annual event. It was cancelled twice, once in 1931 due to a polio epidemic, and again one year during World War II.

In 1935, with the backing of the town, funds were furnished by the Town Government and the Volunteer Fire Company to purchase land from the Clarks on Orange Center Road. On this spot a three-bay firehouse was constructed as a W.P.A. project.

Fire Alarm System

From the inception of the Orange Telephone Exchange in 1908, the telephone switchboard and party line switchboard were located in the Cade home on Orange Center Road. (This was formerly the Alpheus Merwin home and now belongs to the Randolph Hall family.)

Mrs. Clara Cade was the head operator and she was assisted by Mrs. Jack Fitzgerald, a neighbor, and a Mrs. Connors of WEst Haven.

Among their other duties, the operators also processed fire calls.

[picture caption] From proceeds raised from the annual summer carnival on the green, the Volunteer Fire Association operates at little expense to the town.