Independence Hill Fire Department 1946-1947

The volunteer fire department of the Independence Hill area of Merrillville got up a little booklet in 1946 as a means of raising funds for equipment or supplies.


(Click on image to enlarge)

They sold advertising space to local businesses (going as far east as Ainsworth's The Pantry, even) and then, I suppose, distributed the booklet around the community. The booklet includes lists of active firemen and charter members, as well as a brief history of the fire department and photographs of its officers.

I have scanned the entire booklet and you may view it here.

This particular copy comes from the estate of Dr. Doris Papke Blaney via the Hobart Historical Society, which passed it along to the Merrillville/Ross Township Historical Society (in the belief that the latter was more properly concerned with Independence Hill).

In the online files of The Times, I found an informal history of Independence Hill written by Bruce Woods in 2008.