Building the Fire Station
Building the fire station was a community project. Those who didn’t cut wood or drive nails, raised funds. Others offered specialized services or donated material for the project. When the work was being done those at work were given lunch and drinks by friends, family and neighbors there by their sides; some of these helpers were members of the Auxiliary, others not. Some gave money, others gave things that could be used to raise money. Even more people chipped in by buying a raffle ticket, a sandwich, or a ticket to a function. Everyone contributed according to their means and ability to do something, anything, large or small, to make the idea become a reality.
The land for the fire station was leased from Madison County for 99 years. It originally had been part of the Spring Creek School grounds. The building was started without a large amount of money on hand for the project because the men of the community knew that they could do much of the work themselves.
It took about a year and a half to complete the project. While the community’s efforts got the project done, it took a $40,000 check from Liston B. Ramsey to get the project completed. Mr. Ramsey was a Madison County resident, and the Speaker of the NC House of Representatives. The money he got for the fire station allowed the concrete floor to be poured and the kitchen to be built.
A Pictorial History: Building the Fire Station
The original building plan costs were donated by Spring Creek resident Barbara Field
An Empty Field on Hwy 209
02/02/1982
Moving the Logs
Bill Walker, Bob Clark, Ted Totten, Alvin Kirkpatrick
Cutting Down Some Trees
Stan McElroy, Roemaine Willett and Hugh Flemming at Work
Cutting the Logs into Lumber
Work Proceeds at Tom and Bob Clark's Sawmill 03/04/1982
Tom Clark loads the truck while his mother, Pearl, looks on
Timber donated by J. Crawford, T. Worley, R. Parker, V. Trantham, L. McGaha
Preparing the Site
Dennis Willett and Ken Pangle Talk 06/03/1982
Young, Strong Backs at Work
Dennis, James, Bicky, Darrell and Allen
The Community Pitches in on warm June day
Paul Nicholls at work with block donated by B. K. Meadows
Alan Trimble mixing Concrete
Planing and Sizing of the Lumber was donated by Hartford Tweed
Getting Ready to Put on a Roof
Charles Sams, Ted Totten, Tom Meadows
Bob Clark, Robert Roullard and Charles Sams building out the walls
Dry in the Building
A Work Day with Many Contributors 02/18/1983
The Building Starts to Take Shape
Alvin Kirkpatrick's Tractor 11/1982
Note (1): Some names are mentioned, driven by the few pictures; most names are not. The complete list of residents who contributed, directly and indirectly, would pretty much be the entire Spring Creek phone directory for those three years.
Note (2): photos and information were provided by Ethel Kirkpatrick who could and should rightfully be called the Spring Creek VFD's historian.
Celebrating an Amazing Accomplishment
The First Spring Creek Fireman's Fair 09/03/1983
928 Days after the first meeting in February, 1981
State Speaker of the NC House, Liston B. Ramsey Presents a $40,000 Check
Ted Totten, Sam Kirkpatrick and Board President Joe Justice Accept the Check 08/06/1983