Early Beginnings

The area now known as Medford Township was first sold by William Penn and Edward Billynge to Samuel Coles in 1670. Over the next century, the historic village began to grow as a stopover on the Shamong Trail (now Stokes Road) that formed part of the route between Burlington and Tuckerton. Nearby furnaces such as Etna and Taunton helped fuel growth and supported the patriots in the Revolutionary War. In a few short years, the little village of Medford (then Upper Evesham) was prospering within the pines.

During this time, the first threat of fire threatened and led to the early formation of a ladder and bucket brigade within the village. Records from the eighteenth century share the efforts of these residents to protect their property and their neighbors after the model and inspiration of the Philadelphia fire companies founded by Benjamin Franklin. At the turn of the century, these citizens began to organize their response with the support of village organizations such as the Upper Evesham Meeting House. Prominent residents such as the industrialist Mark Reeve led this group and began to lay the foundation for our unit today.

Organizing and the First Firehouse

In 1814, the responders and the leadership of the Upper Evesham Meeting House met to formalize the organization of the fire responders in the village into the Union Fire Company. Formal rules were introduced on the storage of leather buckets, the hanging of ladders, and how the members of the company were obliged to respond and support the company - with failure to comply resulting in fines to the member. Within a few years, the first firehouse was required to house our first apparatus piece, a hand-operated pump that still sits to this day as part of our historical apparatus collection.

In 1821, the first firehouse was built in the side lot of the meeting house at a cost of $26.61. Today, this building still stands preserved next to the intersection of Union and Cherry Streets in the historic village. After the completion of the Union Street firehouse, members recognized that the southern side of town required protection and formed the Independent Fire Company to provide firefighters, ladders, and buckets to the residents south of the village area. A few years later, Independent merged with Union Fire Company to provide coverage to the rapidly growing farmlands north of the village.

Years passed, and gradually the fire company began to outgrow the small firehouse on Union Street. In 1872, a second firehouse was built on Bank Street and then enlarged and rebuilt forty one years later in 1913. As Medford Township continued to grow, within ten years a larger firehouse was required and in 1923, the Main Street firehouse was completed and still stands today as retail stores within the village shopping district.

Growth and a Second Fire Company

After World War II, the population of our township again grew rapidly with new families settling into homes built along the edge of the pinelands south of the village area. In 1946, residents south of Tuckerton Road began to organize as the Lakes Volunteer Fire Company (now Taunton Fire Company) to support and respond alongside Union Fire Company in the areas south and distant from the village area. A war surplus Jeep provided the first protection for the company, and the organization's charter was formalized in 1949.

In the village, Union Fire Company also found new roles and responsibilities for themselves as the population grew and enlarged their firehouse with an additional engine bay. The members in the village also helped found one of the oldest first aid squads within the county, which remained part of the fire company for decades before moving into their own organization and quarters.

Throughout the sixties and seventies, both companies continued to grow and support the mission of protecting their neighbors through firefighting and emergency medical services. In 1975, Union Fire Company moved from the firehouse on Main Street into their current home located on Firehouse Lane within the Village. In 1973, Taunton Fire Company rebuilt their original firehouse into an expanded building that could house additional apparatus and within five years the Lakes Emergency Squad (now Medford EMS) as well.

The Division of Fire Today

Recently, the Division of Fire has begun the work and planning on expanding the Firehouse Lane station again for both Union Fire Company and the Division Offices currently located on Union Street at the Public Safety Building. Taunton Fire Company has continued to grow and relocated from the Fairview Road station to a new building on Gravelly Hollow Road.

Today, the Division of Fire continues the proud traditions laid down over two centuries ago of neighbors helping each other and provides emergency services to anyone who requests help within Medford Township.