Early days of firefighting was competitive, and the Arcola men were national champs

By Carolyn Cloyd

From the earliest days of our nation until around the time of the Civil War, volunteer fire companies were the only municipal fire protection for cities, many of which consisted of a high percentage of wooden structures that could quickly be engulfed by fire. In large cities, with multiple volunteer companies, the response to fires was very competitive with multiple companies responding.

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