May 30, 2021 – Boltonville, WI – Veterans, firefighters, farmers, horses and llamas were on hand Sunday afternoon for the annual Boltonville Parade and after a year off neighbors, friends and families turned out in droves to welcome them home.
There was a special tribute to Boltonville Firefighter Kevin Fay who is celebrating 50 years with the department.
The kids came dressed in their best red, white, and blue to honor everyone who served on this Memorial Day weekend.
Boltonville Rain Days runs through Sunday, May 30, 2021.
Below is a bit of history on the Boltonville Fire Department by Ann Enright
((BTW today wish a Happy Birthday to former Boltonville Fire Chief Joe Enright))
The first Boltonville Firemen’s picnic was held on august 4, 1918, and the resulting profit of $410.70 was deemed a highly successful accomplishment.
A bell was purchased in 1919 for $41.16. A siren replaced the bell in 1947 and the bell was mounted in a planter next to the firehouse.
In 1920, the department took on a “new look” when it became mechanized through the purchase of a new Ford run-about for $450.00, enabling the chemical engines to be driven instead of pulled by horses. A chimney was added to the building so that it could be properly heated and the equipment cared for, as well as for comfort at meetings. The department was incorporated in 1924. During these early years, the younger men of the community were also being enlisted as members to help man the equipment.
The night of August 13, 1927 marked the first meeting at the firehouse with electric lighting, a gift from Louis Morbes, who was given a rousing vote of thanks and designated an honorary lifetime member. On November 13, 1927, the members participated in the unveiling of the Courthouse monument in West Bend that had been erected in honor of the soldiers who had served in the Civil, Spanish-American and the First World Wars.
In 1930, two new chemical tanks and a booster pump were purchased at a cost of $1,775.00.
They were mounted on a new Model A Ford chassis purchased from Art Groeschel for $569.00. A quote from the secretary’s minutes of February 1, 1934 reads: “Chief reported call to Elmer Plaum’s on a bitterly cold day to extinguish chimney fire, stated that though the chimney was hot, the weather was not so hot,” B. Wierman, Sec’y. In 1938 the department purchased the lots adjoining the fire department from George Fay and the Wendel estate.
To facilitate this effort a “Tree Day” was held on April 6, 1940, and the members were asked to bring trees and plant them in the park. Also in 1938 a 1932 model Chevrolet truck was purchased and a 500-gallon tank and booster pump were installed. In 1946 the bylaws were revised and the articles of incorporation renewed in accordance with the more recent provisions of the state statutes.
The annual Firemen’s Picnic, which as christened “Rain Days” in 1973 because of the frequent inclement weather on the chosen Memorial Day weekends, has proved to be very profitable and well-attended fundraiser for the department. A street dance event has also been added to the list of fundraisers since the new addition was opened.
