1963: Plans for new Hartington fire hall are explained

Sept. 11, 1963

HARTINGTON — Steve Dreesen’s truck caught on fire while parked at Jordan’s Service Station last Thursday.

The engine wasn’t running properly when he pulled into the station and small flames spread over the engine.

The local fire department was called to extinguish it after the station’s extinguisher failed to work.

The truck suffered minor damage.

Sept. 11, 1963

HARTINGTON — Alvin Mathiason has been hired to the city police force. He will fill the vacancy left by Charles Yonke’s retirement. Yonke had been chief of police here for several years.

Sept. 11, 1963

HARTINGTON — The Board of Directors elected Fred Zimmer to be the vice president of the Hartington Telephone Company last Friday at their meeting. He succeeds F. G. Bruening.

Sept. 11, 1963

HARTINGTON — A proposed new fire house for Hartington, which will be voted on at a bond election Oct. 1, will provide a 40x60 foot station to house fire fighting equipment and a 25x40 foot space, which will be used for a city vehicle maintenance shop.

The estimated cost of the new facility is $30,000.

The building would be constructed of brick and tile on the site of the old Congregational church east of the City Auditorium. The building would face south with four 12-foot doors on the front and one 12-foot door on the east end.

Mert Olsen, assistant fire chief , said the structure would be large enough to house six fire fighting units. The Hartington Volunteer Fire Department now has three units and if the bond issue carries, the Hartington Rural Fire District will purchase a tanker truck, giving the city and rural areas the benefit of four units.

The building will also provide space for hose racks, drying racks, and other equipment owned by the department, Olson said.

The new facility will also provide room for fire drills and demonstrations in the winter months.

In addition, the building will also aid the city. The city government has long needed shop space for the storage and repair of its vehicles.

Sept. 11, 1963

HARTINGTON — Michael Adams, a 1963 graduate of Holy Trinity High School, enlisted in the Navy and was inducted at Omaha last Wednesday. He left for the San Diego Naval Training Base that afternoon. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Iven Adams and is the second son to join the Navy.