Corsicana, Navarro County
The Corsicana Volunteer Fire Department was organized in Dec. 1879, with J. J. Strupper as chief. Volunteer fire fighters carried buckets before acquiring hand- and horse-drawn equipment. Fire Station No. 1, located at city hall, was first occupied in 1892 by Chief F. N. Drane, who supervised drilling of artesian wells to supply water. First Station No. 2 was built in 1902 as a substation for west Corsicana. In 1924, after protecting lives and property for 45 years, the volunteer system was replaced by the City Fire Department, which continued to use this building until 1926.