SHELBINA
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
The Shelbina Fire Protection District was founded in 2001, with the passing of a new fire district and tax, the Shelbina Fire Department, and the Community Fire Service Association of Shelbina were disbanded, and operations began as the Shelbina Fire Protection District (SFPD). The SFPD provides fire and rescue services to the citizens of the Shelbina, Missouri area. Our district encompasses about 250 squares miles, and includes portions of Shelby, and Monroe Counties in northeast Missouri. The SFPD is a volunteer/paid on call dept. This means that our members respond from their home or work when there is an emergency, and are not always at the station.
The SFPD has a variety of apparatus and equipment, which makes us capable of handling many types of emergencies, including: Structure fires, grass/ wildland fires, vehicle fires, vehicle crashes/ auto extrication, and some other technical rescue calls, like grain bin entrapment rescue.
Map of the Shelbina Fire Protection District
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July 1864 - The infamous Bill Anderson burns the Salt River Railroad Bridge and the Shelbina and Lakenan
railroad depots. He also robs local merchants and citizens.
December 1866 - The "Moscow" area of Shelbina burns, destroying 1 block of frame buildings, including the
Rawlings and True Dry Goods, S. Downing Drugs, J.H. Grout Hardware, Lew Baum Clothing. The fire is blamed
on either a servant girl dropping hot ashes from an ash box or arson.
February 1869 - Hopkin's Business destroyed by fire.
1869 - The City of Shelbina purchased a used 1839 hand pumper from the city of Quincy, Illinois. This was a
12-man, hand operated pumper, and was used by citizen volunteers who answered the calls in the early days.
The pumper was pulled either by teams or by hand using long ropes attached to the front.
July 4, 1870 - Phenix No. 1 Firemen march in the 4th of July Parade in uniform with their engine. The fire
department may have been sponsored by the Phenix Insurance Company. This was common practice for early
fire departments and was an incentive for property owners to insure their property with the company
sponsoring the fire department, assuming they would better protect the insured property. Phenix No. 1 is the
first known organized fire department in Shelbina.
May 16, 1872 - Rawlings Block destroyed - six businesses and a photograph gallery destroyed, including Swem
Bros. Photographers, Ezra Ahalt Groceries, Tom Upton Billiards, and Mrs. Hall's Bakery. Cause arson.
August 14, 1872 - Lightning strikes the Woolen Mill causing a devastating fire. Although the fire engine
responded, it had to travel a mile to reach the mill, and the mill and all its equipment was destroyed. Damages
estimated at $25,000.
November 19, 1872 - Thomas Block destroyed - seven businesses and hotel destroyed. W.A. Blair Tailor, Mrs.
E.P. Smith Milliner, Fred Munch Billiards, J.F. Norris Boots and Shoes, Reid and Rogers Meat Market, Jos.
Bright Clothing, Mrs. J.W. Shafer Milliner, James Combs Hotel. Cause was arson.
February 1873 - Jerry Moreland house burns. Defective flue is blamed.
July 1874 - Max Polk house struck by lightning - fire destroys second floor of house.
August 18, 1874 - Fire starts in the rear storeroom of Colvert and Carrolls Drug Store and Broughton and Myers
Hardware Store. Destroys nine businesses, one photography studio, and a milliner shop are destroyed. J.S.
Preston Building, Taylor and Downing Building, C.H. Myers and Mrs. A.B. Berry Building, John R. Colvert
Building, J.R. Buckman Building, Richard Thomas Building, C. & J.W. Towson Building, Morris Goodman Building
destroyed, Odd Fellows Lodge destroyed. Mention is made in the Shelbina Democrat (newspaper) of the desire
to have the Phenix rise again - possibly indicating the Phenix No. 1 Fire Department has disbanded.
August 1879 - Dessert and Bros. Store catches fire, and fire spreads to six other buildings. Dessert Building,
Mrs. Lowen and Miss Parker Millinery, O.A. Winston Drug Store, Wm. A. Rogers Meat Market, Mrs. Naeter
Millinery and Home destroyed
May 1886 - City insurance map shows 1 Hand Engine and lists water supply as "not good". Firehouse is located at the corner of West Chestnut and 2nd Street (present day Missouri Street)
1888 - The City of Shelbina officially forms a munincipal fire department. Dick Thomas is appointed Fire Marshal
from 1888 and serves until 1906.
July 27, 1892 - Quincy purchases and returns the 1839 James Smith Pumper to its original home of Quincy, where it is received with
much fanfare and parade. The engine is decorated with flags and brooms and escorted by a brass band upon
its return. The engine would later be dismantled and stored under the porch of the John Woods Mansion for
years and forgotten until the 1990's when it is found again and restored to working order. Today the 1839
James Smith is fully restored and is the only operational example of 16 surviving James Smith hand pumpers in the US.
February 1893 - City insurance map shows volunteer fire department had 1 hand fire engine with 300' of 2" hose on reel and 12 men. Water is supplied by private wells and cisterns. Firehouse is located at the corner of West Chestnut and 2nd Street (present day Missouri Street)
December 1, 1897 - Fire department reorganized by the city and pumper repaired to working order. Discussion
of purchasing chemical extinguishers . Officers and members are W.R. Thomas, Chief; J.C. Jewett, 1st Asst.;
J.W. Lucas 2nd Asst.; George Grant; Charles Blair; Claude Heninger; Eddie Grant; Wm. Muldrow; Joe Maupin;
Ben Fox; Perle Hiles. The department is under the direction and by the approval of the city authorities.
Dispatching is done by the central phone office, who will call those firemen with phones, beginning with Mr.
Hiles at Worland's Stable, where the key to the engine house will be kept.
August 1909 - City insurance map shows fire department has 14 volunteers, 1 hand engine, and a hose cart with 600 ft of 2 1/2" cotton hose. Alarms are signaled by an alarm bell on city hall. The firehouse is located at the corner of West Chestnut and 2nd Street (present day Missouri Street) Water is supplied by 5 fire wells located in the downtown area and private cisterns.
1912 - City fire mains are installed. Mains consist of 3 1/2 miles of 8" intake pipe, 22,600' of 4", 4,000' of 6", 2,400' of 8", and 300' of 10" supply pipe, feeding 60 double hydrants. A combination of electric and steam pumps feed the system.
October 1916 - City insurance map shows fire department has a partly paid chief, with 13 volunteer men, 2 hose carts with 1,000 feet of 2 1/2" CRL hose, One 45 gallon chemical cart with 200' of 2" chemical hose. Alarms are signaled by a bell, whistle, and by phone. Water is supplied from a clear well (filled from Salt River) by two compound duplex steam pumps with 160-360 GPM capacity each. 40 lbs of pressure to the system is from a 70,000 gallon water tower in the business district. During fires, the system is direct fed from the pumps, giving 120 lbs of pressure for firefighting.
April 1930 - City insurance map shows Fire Chief is partly paid, with 15-20 volunteers. 1 station with a Chevrolet hose and chemical truck with 45 gallons of chemical and 200' of chemical hose and 1 hand hose cart with 1200' of 2 1/2" hose and ladders. Alarms are signaled by a fire siren. Water is supplied to the city by a 80,000 gallon gravity tank boosted by a 300 GPM Fairbanks-Morse fire pump and a 300 GPM Gardner-Duplex fire pump. There are 3 miles of 4" to 10" water lines feeding 56 hydrants in the city with a fire pressure of 80-100 lbs of fire pressure.
1997 - A new fire station is built at 204 W. Chesnut Street. This station replaces the station at 416 W. Chestnut used since the 1960's.
April 2000 - Voters approve formation of the Shelbina Fire Protection District. The district was formed by
merging the Shelbina Fire Department and the Community Fire Service Association of Shelbina, which were the
city and rural fire departments covering the existing district area. Voters also approved a property tax to fund
the new district.
January 2001 - The Shelbina Fire Protection District begins operations. Shelbina Fire Department and
Community Fire Service Association of Shelbina are disbanded. Equipment is transferred to the new district,
and the fire station is leased from the City of Shelbina.
October 2011- Historic buildings burn on Center Street in Shelbina. 13 agencies assiseted in the fire efforts.