Locke Fire Department

The history of Locke Fire Dept began on January 13, 1956. Approximately 200 people gathered at Lawrence Owens’ shop on Mooresville Highway. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the need for a volunteer fire department for the community. Charter membership began that night. On January 27 another meeting was held in the basement of Salem Lutheran Church. Charter membership was closed this evening. Total charter membership was 170.

During the month of March 1956 several more meetings were held. At these meetings elections were held for the board of directors and fire department officers. Also, department by-laws were discussed and accepted. Land for fire stations and equipment needs were talked about. In April bids were taken on two fire trucks. Those first two trucks were 1956 International engines companies with front mount pumps.

On June 22, 1956 two tracks of land were purchased for fire stations. One lot was part of J.C. Safrit’s property beside Yount’s Grocery on Mooresville Hwy. This station is still used by the fire department. The second lot was at the intersection of Mooresville Hwy. and Briggs Rd.

During these first months of the fire department meetings were held at member’s homes, shops, and businesses. Money for land, trucks and equipment was raised in a variety of ways. The first fund raiser was the raffle of a car. The drawing for that car was held at a fund raising barbeque in July of 1956. Other fund raisers included turkey shoots, auctions, fish fry’s, food booths at the county fair, chicken and dumpling suppers and micro midget races. A lot of hard work went into these fund raisers by the fire department members, their families and many others in the community.

Over the last fifty years many things have changed. One station has moved and another has been added. Members have come and gone. Trucks and equipment have been upgraded. One thing that has not changed though is the dedication of the firefighters, their families who often wonder where their loved ones are going or what dangers they may face and the community that has supported the fire department for so many years.

W.A. Kepley	Paul Kistler Jr.	Jim Yost
E.T. Rary	Harvey Hinson	J. Lee Turman
Paul Smith	E. Ray Curran	James Brown
W.H. White	Clem Brown	Glen Shook
Junior Link	Charles Nail	Narvie Lee Bonds
Lawrence Owens	J.C. Livengood	Hubert Shulenburger
Carl A. Albright	Everett Graham	Vance Bradshaw
Benny Lee Wise	Keith Yount	Eddie Robidean
W.C. Goodnight	Clyde Beaver	George Barringer
Junior Beaver	Paul Kluttz	P.D. McKinney
Lee Hoffner	A.A. McCanless	Bill Gardner
Buddy Kepley	Council Brown	Dean Smith
Cecil Schenk	Joe Goodnight	Earl McKinney
W.C. Graham	Jimmy Miller	Joel P. Goodnight
David Sloop	Paul McGee	Lonnie Rice
Keigh McGee	Joe Harrison	Kenneth Kerr
Henry Myers	John Wise	Poe Caravan
Francis Linn Cauble	Charles Campbell	N.H. Cannon
Carl Rice	Leo Peeler	J.F. Goodnight
Jim Wilhelm	H.L. Hallman	Bernard Sloop
Bobby Rector	Jack Miller	C.P. Simpson Jr.
Wayne White	Otho Shue	Ervin Kluttz