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Welcome Waalkill Engine Company No. 6 |
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As
the
village
and
later
the
city
of
Middletown
grew,
fire
protection
had
to
keep
pace.
The
western
part
of
Middletown
was
being
built
up
along
with
the
growth
of
the
Asylum.
The
Homeopathic
Hospital
on
Monhagen
Avenue
was
expanding
bringing
with
it
new
streets
and
homes.
In
hand-drawn
days
the
steep
streets
leading
to
the
west
end
of
town
not
only
made
for
a
hard
pull
but
it
took
time
to
get
there.
Mr.
Ferris
M.
Pronk,
a
Franklin
Square
druggist
and
Chief
of
the
Fire
Department
at
the
time,
recommended
that
a
new
company
be
formed
in
that
vicinity. |
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The
Waalkill
Engine
Company,
No.
6
was
formed
and
was
accepted
by
the
city
on
May
21,
1890.
They
have
always
been
quartered
in a
single
bay
fire
station
on
Wallkill
Avenue.
From
using
a
two
wheel
hose
jumper
to
the
present
modern
fire
apparatus,
Waalkills
have
served
Middletown
well
over
the
years.
The
street
on
which
the
fire
house
is
located
was
originally
called
West
Street.
The
name
of
the
street
was
changed
to
correspond
with
the
fire
company
but
the
spelling
remained
different.
From
its
inception
the
fire
company
name
was
always
spelled
with
a
double
"a". |
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