Yukon fire company celebrates 100 years with upcoming carnival

An unusual wheeled contraption sits idle in the wood-paneled basement of the Yukon Fire Hall.

The device — a century-old metal fire engine cart designed to be pulled by a car — has been maintained in good condition, though it’s no longer on active duty.

Built in 1923, when the Yukon Volunteer Fire Company was founded, the cart is one of a plethora of artifacts that mark the history of the station.

Containing photos, trophies, worn parade hats and even a few scattered softball uniforms, the historical archive maintains the story of Yukon’s firefighters as the company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

“We have a lot of neighboring departments that have hit 100 years, like Mt. Pleasant, and Herminie is not far off. But it’s still something to celebrate,” said fire company President Rachael Ray, who also serves as assistant chief. “There are a lot of departments that have shuttered recently that didn’t make it even 50 years.”

The South Huntingdon-area fire company will hold a summer carnival this Saturday to celebrate.

The commemoration of the fire company’s history doubles as a throwback event for locals, Ray said. The department used to hold a summer carnival but hasn’t put one on since 2010. Originally, it was a week-long event.

“This is a really scaled-back version of it to see if we can bring it back again,” she said. “It’s something we are trying, to see if we can revive it and see if we can get the help.”

The event will be held from 11 a.m. until fireworks at 9 p.m. at the fire hall, 124 Highway St.

A food booth and local vendor show will be held, and the department’s trucks will be on display for visitors to see, along with a few carnival games and all-day bingo. Firefighters will participate in a dunk tank; ticket sales will help support the company.

Local bands Danniella DiClaudio Productions, Fire Escape and The Doc Brown Band will perform. Admission is free.

A rich history

During the event, a room in the fire hall will be set up with pictures and artifacts telling the story of the department, along with a selection of trophies that the company has won in parades over the years.

A lot of history is kept in the attic of the fire station, and all around the building, Ray said.

During Yukon’s industrial coal days, and before the advent of a centralized emergency call system, there were “red phones” at locations across the village where firemen were likely to congregate.

“There was one at the chief’s house, there was one at the Central Hotel — it used to be the old company bar that everybody would go to,” she said. “It was a relay system, even before 911 became a thing.”

The fire hall still has fire member log books from the 1940s and 1960s that document notes on each call the company responded to, along with lists of members.

Fire chief Mark Kite can trace multiple generations of his family through the ledger.

“My great-grandfather was in the fire department, and my grandfather, and my father, and brother,” he said. He pointed to his relatives’ names in the book while flipping through the pages.

Like many volunteer fire companies, Yukon’s roster numbers have dwindled over time. The company now has 10 active members and around 40 life members, but its active members once numbered about 100. In 1976, when Kite first started at the station, there were 75 active members, he said.

“That’s kind of somewhere where we are struggling,” Ray said, noting that many of the leaders at the station wear multiple hats in maintaining the company. “Unfortunately, with the history of volunteer firemen in Pennsylvania, that’s just the trend.”

At the event, the station will share information about joining the company.

“We’re looking for members, and we’re going to have a table down there to ‘get to know your firemen,’” she said. “Usually we have people pay for their dues ahead of time, but we’re going to waive that if they were to join during carnival. We have different levels of membership … we’re open to kind of anything. Anybody who’s willing to lend a hand, we’re willing to take them.”