In December, 1909, pursuant to call, a number of the citizens gathered together in the office of Carr & Neff Lumber company, and organized a Volunteer Fire Department, which was the beginning of the city's present vigorous fire fighting machine.

The first meeting was held on the eleventh, when Fred Alexander was elected president ; P. J. Barron, secretary-treasurer ; and J. C. Caine as chief. They also constituted a committee to draft constitution and by-laws. The next meeting was held on the sixteenth. George Elquist, W. A. Stull, W. W. Cline, G. L. Shumway, W. H. Goforth, C. J. Dawson, J.

D. Bohnert and J. C. Caine were the first members to fully qualify as members On January tenth F. D. Schofield, William Morrow and A.

E. Delahovde qualified, and on February fourteenth, E.'S. Young, W. G. Ashbaugh.'H. W. Newby, Chas. J. Evans, Homer Cline, W. E. Rice. M. T. Murphy, W. T. Hill, G. 1. Godsev, V. B. Kirkham, Earl Sawver, P. T. Sheffer. I. N. Wallace, A. Dean, G. E. Caine, H. J. Gilbraith and M. A. Scott did likewise. This completed the roster of the first members of the fire department, a total of thirty members. At this meeting W. A. Stull was chosen as assistant chief.

In April, 1910, Alexander and Barron were re-elected, and H. J. Gilbraith chosen chief. Gilbraith served until June 13 when F. D. Schofield was selected. The council during this year passed an ordinance charging fire insurance companies doing business in Scottsbluff an annual license of five dollars for a fireman's fund. P. T. Sheffer was appointed assistant chief, and the department divided into three groups. Hose Cart No. 1 had Hill, Morrow, Edgar, Schofield and Barron, while No. 2 had Sheffer, Guernsey, Foreman, Carlisle and Cline. The hook and ladder team was Elquist, Lane, Alexander, Westervelt and Ashbaugh.