HOME > NEWS

A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	October, 2007	Return to newsletter index

Camp Ellis Fireman's Ladies Auxiliary Celebrates 60 Years of Service

---

Fire Chief Alden Murphy receives a donation from the Camp Ellis Fireman's Ladies Auxiliary to help purchase equipment for the Fire Department's gym.

On September 27th the Camp Ellis Fireman's Ladies Auxiliary held a dinner meeting celebrating their 60 years of service to the Camp Ellis Fire Department. During that meeting, the events leading to the formation of the Camp Ellis Fire Department and subsequently the ladies auxiliary were presented. We later researched the department records and confirmed the information.

On July 20, 1946 at 4:40 AM the department responded from Central Station to a major conflagration consuming 5 houses located between North Avenue and Eastern Avenue. The citizens waited patiently for the equipment from Saco to arrive helplessly watching the fire spread from building to building. The report stated the cause was careless smoking and the damage report reads as follows:

• 1 story frame dwelling owned by J. Thereien total loss
• 1 1/2 story frame dwelling owned by J. Therrien total loss
• 1 1/2 story frame dwelling owned by J. Therrien total loss
• Shed owned by J. Therrien total loss
• 1 1/2 story dwelling owned by E. Janelle total loss
• 1 1/2 story dwelling owned by E. Janelle total loss
• 1 story frame owned by V. Guertin damaged
• Frame dwelling C. Gagnon damaged
• 1 1/2 story frame dwelling owned by J. Huot damaged
• 1 story frame owned by H. Bishop damaged
• 1 story shed owned by C. Patrick total loss

Soon following the blaze a group of local residents led by Alderman Harry Emerson met on the porch of Moore's Hotel to discuss forming their own fire department. In the months that followed, a station was built on land owned by the city which was essentially a paper street. Depending on whom you ask some say the city provided some limited financial assistance while others say the members received material donations from area businesses. One thing is undisputed the new members built the station themselves at considerable savings to the city. At the same time the fire department was being formed the civic minded ladies of Camp Ellis united to form the Camp Ellis Firemen's Ladies Auxiliary. The mission of the group was to support the new fire department. As it turned out the Auxiliary became the financial backbone of the new fire department. The Ladies paid utility bills, purchased equipment, and supplied just about anything needed to keep the fire department going.

The auxiliary raised money through various fundraisers but became famous for the Turkey dinners. The food was great, the waiting lines could be long but customers always left satisfied and full. The new Bayview Station was built in 1993 and the Turkey Dinner tradition changed locations to the new building which seated more hungry customers.

In the late 1990s the Camp Ellis Volunteer Fire Department and the North Saco Volunteer Fire Departments were merged with the Saco Call Department to form one organization. The Camp Ellis Ladies Auxiliary continued with fundraising and continues to this day making generous donations to the Saco Fire Department.

At the meeting on September 27th the ladies presented Chief Murphy with a generous check for gym equipment for the department's gym. On behalf of the City of Saco and its Fire Department Chief Murphy thanked the Ladies for their dedication and service.