History

Founded in 1872, the town Ely consisted of 4 blocks of wood frame homes and businesses. No records of an organized fire services have ever been found, however, fire protection would have been the duty of every citizen as an uncontrolled blaze was a threat to the entire town. Bucket brigades were the primary source of controlling a fire but these efforts were used to keep a fire from spreading, and often the structures that were the source of the fire was lost.

In 1903 Ely was incorporated as a city but it wasn’t until early 1913 that the town fathers began to investigate purchasing some firefighting equipment. Mayor J.C. Dvorak investigated options and by June of that year the city had purchased a chemical engine from the W.S. Nott company of Minnesota for $358.87. This hand or horse-drawn cart used a mix of soda and acid to create pressure to expel water from a 40-gallon tank. The cart was stored in the back of city hall where it had to be heated in the winter by a small stove. A year later, in August of 1914, Mayor F.J. Krob nominated Frank Michalicek for the role of Ely’s first fire chief. No records showing the outcome of this decision are available. The next available records are found in 1920, when the city purchased a bell for $60 to be used in the event of fire. The bell stood next to city hall and was used for the next 20 years to summon firefighters to city hall to retrieve the chemical engine.

As Ely grew, progress necessitated a more organized fire service. In late 1932 a meeting was held and 12 men, mainly Ely business owners, volunteered as official members. The city approved the plan and by 1933 incorporation paperwork had been filed and F.J. Krob elected as chief. New members had to be approved by the city council. In these early years there was no money for the new department. Members removed the tank from the chemical engine and mounted it on a frame made to be towed behind a car or truck. In 1936 the department was the beneficiary of a $2000 gift from the recently disbanded Ely Livestock Shippers Association to purchase a new truck on the condition the department serve the rural areas around Ely.

The department gladly accepted and Chief Krob entrusted department member and local service station owner to outfit a Chevy truck chassis with a tank and all the features needed for a fire truck of the time. Using only 2 hand drawn blueprints Dolezal finished the truck in 1937.

In preparation for the new truck, a small, one stall, garage was purchased by the city and moved onto a new foundation next to the existing city hall. The bell purchased in 1920 was replaced by the phone system, whose operator’s office was next door to the station. When the operator was called about a fire they’d activate a mechanical siren which had been obtained and mounted on a windmill frame behind the station to summon members to action. This system was used for many years until the “fire phone” was put into place where a caller would dial a number, and it would continuously ring the phones of department members who would answer and listen to the incident details before reporting to the station. Pagers replaced this notification systems around 1990.

In 1955 the department was reorganized. The City of Ely would no longer retain control of the department or its assets. An agreement, still recognized today, was made between the city, and the trustees of College and Putnam township to form a new agency and act as owners and governing body. Funds from a tax levy in these 3 areas was used by this new organization as its sole source of funding until the late 70’s when a non-profit entity was formed for the purpose of supporting the fire department.

In 1956 a second Ford truck was purchased along with helmets and gloves. A single stall station was no longer suitable to house both trucks and in 1958 the city hall building andstation was sold and moved. Construction began on a 2-stall cinderblock building on the site. This building would serve as both a firehouse and city hall for the next decades.

In 1967 a new International truck was purchased and the 1937 Chevy was retired and disposed of.

In celebration of Ely’s 100th Birthday the town held a grand celebration which included a breakfast hosted by the department on August 13, 1972. Since then, the breakfast has become a 4th of July day tradition that serves pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs to over 3000 hungry guests annually and is one of the largest breakfasts in this part of the state.

In 1975 the fire station was enlarged to add 3 more stall to house the growing fleet of equipment and apparatus the 20-member department needed. Several military surpluses trucks were procured and converted by members of the department for firefighting. One such truck known as “Maggie” was built and used as a water tanker. Another, a Jeep, was outfitted with small tank and hose reel to be used to fight grass fires.

By 2000 the department had outgrown the station a new and a modern station was built in the 1300 block of Main St. The old station was remodeled and is now the Ely Public Library. Since those early days the Ely Fire Department has continued to grow into the modern fire service you see today. We utilize the latest in communications, equipment and firefighting apparatus to quickly respond to emergencies in the area. Ely’s residents continue to make up the backbone of this volunteer service.