History of Histories

• 1936 – Six-page history written by Works Progress Administration (WPA) writers.
• 1944 – Six-page historical sketch written by former Fire Chief Sherwood Brockwell and others, published as commemorative booklet at fire department event.
• 1951 – Ladies auxiliary formed. Members create scrapbooks through the 1960s, including photos and newspaper clippings.
• 1970 – City fire protection report published that includes five-page history written by local historian Elizabeth Davis Reid.
• 1970s – Newspaper clippings compiled in three-ring binders by Public Affairs for several years.
• 1984 – First commemorative history book (or “yearbook”) published, with detailed history written by department historian Captain B. T. Fowler from sources including research by Elizabeth Reid Murray.
• 1993 – Raleigh City Museum opens in Borden Building at Fletcher Park. First exhibit is How Fire Changed the Face of Raleigh, created by Captain Fowler, now retired.
• 2001 – First unofficial web pages on history of fire department created by former firefighter Mike Legeros. Content is seeded with history text from 1984 and forthcoming 2002 yearbooks.
• 2002 – Second yearbook published, with detailed history that reprints the 1984 history text and adds subsequent sections written by Captain Brock.
• 2003 – “Raleigh and Wake County Firefighting” written by Mike Legeros, the first of two paperback photo history books published by Arcadia Publishing.
• 2004 – Mike Legeros starts researching official records at Station 1, and city records at City Clerk’s office.
• 2006 – Elizabeth Reid Murray Collection donated to Olivia Raney Local History, which includes extensive historical information about the Raleigh Fire Department.
• 2007 – Third yearbook published, with station histories written by Mike Legeros, reprinted web-based historical essay by Mike Legeros, and other text.
• 2008 – Historical society is organized, led by Battalion Chief Alan Walters and Mike Legeros, now also the department’s official historian.
• 2011 – Historical society opens fire museum in modular classroom building at the training center.
• 2012 – Historical society renamed as Raleigh Fire Museum.
• 2012 – Fourth yearbook published, with text history written and edited by Mike Legeros, that incorporates and expands the text sections from the 1984 and 2002 yearbooks, expands the station histories from the 2007 yearbook, and adds additional historical text sections.

Last updated April 2, 2020