This Day in History: 1962-03-14
A disastrous fire on Stag Hill Road which destroyed a house and left two families homeless impelled the Township to improve fire protection in the Stag Hill community. Plans to install a fire siren with the next month and erect a building to house a fire truck to service the area were announced by Mayor Morris Ruddick. The Stag Hill Fire Department had been organized for several months but it had no equipment. This disaster helped dramatize the need of more concrete action. Meanwhile a number of organizations and persons in the Stag Hill and wider community moved to aid the stricken families. Chester Mann, an employee of the Brake Shoe Company perceived a gift of $1,000 contributed by the Company and his fellow employees. Through the aid of the Community Service Association he was able to rent another house on the Road for his wife and their eight children. Anthony Dennison, who with his wife and three children occupied the ground floor apartment was also assisted to find housing and was offered employment by the Brake Shoe. Among those groups cooperating in the joint effort were the Salvation Army and the Superintendent of the Brake Shoe Plant, Morris Ruddick and the Brake Shoe Union President Stephan Sochinlak
An editorial in the Ramsey Journal praised the actions of those who came forward to help as an example of “a misfortune” which “resulted in some benefits”.
(Bristow)