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In the early days
of the volunteer fire department, the Chiefs were referred to as Supreme
Directors or Chief Engineers, and were elected from prominent citizens
of the day. Some of the names we find recorded include William A. Gill,
John Miller, Alexander McCoy, William McCoy, William Westwater, G. M.
Swans, John Weaver and Luther Donaldson. In 1848 a city
ordinance directed that the officers and foremen of the various fire
companies in the city would select the Chief Engineer. A salary of $100
for the Chief Engineer was implemented in 1853. In the annual report of
1855 the Chief Engineer was listed as C. M. Ridgway and in 1856 a Mr.
Trowbridge. The city designated the first full time paid Chief in 1860
with a salary of $600 a year.
The following is a
chronological list of fire chiefs of the Columbus Fire Department and
the dates they served based on information available at this time.
C. M. Ridgway
Chief
Engineer |
1855 to May 11, 1856 |
(Resigned) |
|
Mr. Trowbridge
Chief
Engineer |
May 11, 1856 to
Nov 25, 1860 |
|
John Miller
Chief Engineer |
Nov 26, 1860 to July 24,1863 |
(Resigned) |
|
|
First paid
Chief $
600 yr |
|
| lssac H. Marrow |
Nov 6, 1863 to April 1868 |
(Resigned) |
|
| W. S. Huffman |
Aug 10, 1868 to
April 12, 1869 |
|
| Henry Heinmiller |
April 12, 1869 to
Sept. 10, 1880 |
|
| David D. Tresenrider |
Sept 10, 1880 to
1890 |
|
Mar 2, 1882-Mayor
suspended Tresenrider; Council refused to concur, told Tresenrider to
resume the duties of Chief Engineer April 25, 1882-Supreme Court
sustained City Council |
|
| Charles
Boson |
June
7, 1886 |
|
Mayor nominates
Charles Bryson for Chief Engineer; Council refuses to confirm the
appointment. Boson is re-appointed by the Mayor and both he and
Tresenrider undertook to act. causing much confusion in the department. |
|
|
|
Oct 11, 1886 The
Supreme Court again called upon and ruled against Bryson appointment |
|
| Joseph Grovenbery |
|
|
The
Mayor then appointed and installed Joseph
Grovenbery as Chief, again against Council wishes, but almost
immediately he resigned because of an injury received in the line of
duty |
|
| W.P. Callahan |
Nov 8, 1886 Callahanis appointed by the Mayor and
again Council rejected the nomination |
|
|
|
Nov 30,
1886-Nevertheless, the Mayor again suspended Tresenrider and reappointed
Callahan. Common Pleas Court ruled against the Mayor and restrained the
Mayor, Callahan and others from interfering with the fire department. |
|
|
|
Dec: 1, 1886
Tresenrider again took charge as Chief |
|
|
| Henry Heinmiller |
1890 to Aug.
24,
1899
|
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Charles J. Lauer |
Aug 24,
1899 to Sept 10, 1915 |
(Died) |
|
|
|
| Jenkins Daniels |
Oct 9, 1915 to
Mar 17, 1926 |
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Allen E.
"Dude'' Nice |
Mar 17, 1926 to
Jan 1, 1933 |
(Retired) |
|
|
| Willis B. Hunt |
Jan
1, 1933 to Feb. 12, 1933 |
|
Provisional-
Died 3 days |
|
|
| Clarence W.
Ogborn |
Feb. 12, to June
22, 1933 Provisional-
Retained Assistant Chief status Acting Chief for 4 months |
|
|
| Edward P.
Welch |
June
22, 1933 to Oct 1942 Took
military leave of absence |
|
|
|
|
| Clarence W. Ogborn |
Oct
1942 to Aug 1, 1944 Acting
Chief during absence of Welch to military |
|
|
| Edward P. Welch |
Aug,
1, 1944 |
|
Returned from military duty, Chief
until Feb 27, 1947 (Died) |
|
|
| Clarence W. Ogborn |
April 8,
1947 to May 16, 1948 |
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Walter
G. Strickfaden |
May 16, 1948 to
Aug 20, 1966 |
(Retired) |
|
|
| James C. O'Conner |
Aug 21, 1966 to
Dec. 30, 1966 |
|
Provisional for
Strickfaden who retired, then O'Conner left same year. |
|
|
|
| Glenn H. Barr |
Dec. 31, 1966 to May 9, 1971 |
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Raymond R. Fadley |
May 9, 1971 to Dec. 31, 1983 |
(Retired) |
|
|
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| Donald E. Werner |
Feb. 13, 1984 to May 11, 1991 |
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Harmon J. Dutko |
May 13, 1991 to March 8, 1997 |
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Steven K. Woltz |
March 9, 1997 to March 9, 2002 |
(Retired) |
|
|
|
| Ned Pettus Jr. |
April 9, 2002 to Present |
|
|
|
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Courtesy CFD Historian and
Central Ohio Fire Museum 04/06/2002 |
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