Daily Visits to the Firehouse
A coal stove heated the original Firehouse across from the present station. In order to keep the stove fired up during the winter months, someone had to tend to it on a daily basis. This chore fell to the town mailman, Vince Miller, since he passed by every day while on his mail route. Ironically he lived where the present post office is located, so he was not far away.
Dave Haldeman remembers, “Vince would go past while on his route so he visited the firehouse every day. We depended on him. He acted as the spokesperson. When it was time for a new chief, he is the guy who said, ‘Here, this is yours. You’re chief!’”
According to Dan Fisher, anyone who knew Vince never forgot him. He was quite a character who, along with the Brubaker brothers from the Duck Farm, helped keep the Fire Company alive when it was waning. They revived interest and support among community members by planning the first annual Turkey Dinner. Always doing his part, Vince Miller saved the Fire Company by cooking the turkeys for the meal.
Naming Siegrist Road
Years ago there was only a field lane in the area of Siegrist Road. A better road was needed so Glen Siegrist’s grandfather donated the ground from his farms for a new road. An old atlas shows that it did not follow exactly the path of the original lane, but was laid out to serve the residents who lived on the nearby farms.
When East Lampeter Township decided to name their roads, they asked Glen’s grandfather if they could use the family’s name for the road since they lived in the area and he had donated the land. The Siegrist family members have always had a strong presence along the road so the name is appropriate. Glen says, “My parents lived there and I was born and raised there and that’s where I expect to stay!”