Historic Address: 397 Lincoln St. SE

Current Address: 1585 Liberty St. SE

South Salem Fire Station No. 4 was built on Lincoln St. between Commercial and Liberty Streets in the summer of 1930. The station operated intermittently during the early 1930s, due to limited funds in the city budget. The first captains assigned to the station were Herb Savage and William Hunt. Under their command were six newly recruited firemen. The station resumed normal operation in the mid-1930s and remained open until a newer station was constructed further south, on Alice St. in the 1970s. The building was then sold by the city of Salem and developed as office space. At the time of this research, the former fire station building is being used as office space for the Willamette Valley Legal firm.

Research completed by WHC researcher Michael Nugent, 17 Nov 2022.

Fire Station No. 4, South Salem, circa 1930. Image from Trover Collection, State Library of Oregon, 20070010392

Timeline
1895 Subject lot was part of a larger parcel on the south end of the block on Lincoln, extending from Liberty to Commercial.[1]
1910-1930 The block long lot was separated into two lots with the larger one on the SE corner of the block and purchased by C.S. Teeple.[2]
1930 In April, Salem City Council announced that a new South Salem Fire Station would be built on the subject property having already been purchased by the city from C. S. Teeple.[3]  Later that month the Council requested bids to build new South and North Salem Fire Stations.[4] In July, there was a brush fire at the intersection of Liberty and Lincoln but did not affect the station construction.[5] In August, the station was nearly complete but the actual opening was delayed, most likely because of a funding shortfall created by the Depression.
1931 In June, the station was opened for training the newly assigned crews.  Salem Fire Chief Harry Hutton assigned the first captains (Herb Savage and William Hunt) and six newly recruited firemen (John Olson, Clem Shedreck, Ray Nash, E. Chamlee, Ialo Smith and Charles Elliott).[6]
1932 In April, with the Depression still limiting funding, the City Council directed that the North and South Salem Fire Stations be closed as a cost saving move.  12 firemen lost their jobs.  The Council developed a funding measure for the May ballot.[7]
1933 The undermanned station was opened for a short time but In August, City Councilman Paul H Paulus advised that the North and South Salem Fire Stations be closed again as a budget fix.[8]
1934-1936 The station was reopened permanently sometime during this period.
1936-1939 Normal operation of the station.
1940 The station was used for polling place for South Salem Friends Church because of the congregation’s opposition to the use military force.[9]
1941 In July, in response to the World War, the station was used as location to register for Civil Defense volunteers. [10]  In December, a Civil Defense siren was to be installed at the station.[11]
1942 In April, after the U.S. entry into World War II, air raid response training classes were taught by Lee Warnier at the station.[12]  In May, sand for sand bags was made available at the station for air raid precautions.[13]  Normal operations continued when in July, a dog bite was treated at the station.[14]
1943 In Dec, Walter Eberhard was the captain assigned to the South Salem Fire Station.[15]
1944 In September, South Salem Fire Station responded to a fire at the Reinholdt and Lewis plant on South Commercial.  Plant was engaged in war work and suffered a loss of about $50,000.  This was one of several fires at war production plants in Salem that year.[16]
1949 Station operations returned to normal post-war levels.  In September, the station firemen posted a classified ad to buy a used davenport and chair.[17]
1950 Salem City Council 10-year master plan called for new South Salem Fire Station as part of a number of new community centers.[18]
1954 In August, the City Council proposed bond measure to fund relocation of the North and South Salem Fire Stations but the proposal did not come to fruition for a number of years.[19]
1955 In April, Fireman Chester Howe saved a child by providing artificial respiration at the South Salem Fire Station.  The child was brought to the Station after almost dying in a pool across the street from the station.[20]
1957 The address of the South Salem Fire Station was most likely changed from fronting on Lincoln St to 1585 Liberty St SE.
1959 In October, South Salem Fire Station Captain Walter W. Mills retired after 40 years of service.[21]
1960 In October, the City Council approved a new truck for the South Salem Fire Station.[22]
1964 In June, an architect was selected to design a new South Salem Fire Station at Liberty Rd SE and Pembrook.[23]  In August, the Salem Fire Department began hiring personnel for the new South Salem Fire Station.[24]
1965 In February, the new South Salem Fire Station was dedicated.  The old station on Lincoln remained in operation.[25]
1973 In July, the city bought property on Alice St for a new fire station to replace the station on Lincoln St.[26]
1974 In February, the City of Salem requested bids to sell Station 4 at Liberty and Lincoln.  In May, Station 4 was bought by Knight Industries, Dan Ritter for $37,810.  The company also bought residential property just west of the station.  They had plans to remodel the station into office space.[27]
1975 Station 4 was sold to the Oregon School Employees Association.[28]
1993 The Station was sold to Gregory Eide and Donald Harris.
1995 The Station was sold to James and Nellie R Edge.
2012 The Station was sold to Rodney Michaels, MD and later transferred to a trust in his name.
2022 The Station was sold to Willamette Valley Legal, LLC.

References:

[1] 1895, Sanborn Map, no. 50 – shows single house on the southwest lot of the block bounded by Lefelle, Lincoln, Commercial and Liberty. The subject lot is vacant.

[2] 1926-27, Sanborn Map, no. 242 – shows the lot on Lincoln between Commercial and Liberty is now two lots. The larger, southwest lot with Fire Station No. 4.

[3] Oregon Statesman, 22 Apr 1930

[4] Oregon Statesman, 30 Apr 1930

[5] Capitol Journal, 30 July 1930

[6] Capitol Journal, 22 June 1931

[7] Oregon Statesman, 19 Apr 1932

[8] Capitol Journal, 31 Oct 1933

[9] Oregon Statesman, 15 Oct 1940

[10] Oregon Statesman, 26 July 1941

[11] Capitol Journal, 18 Dec 1941

[12] Oregon Statesman, 13 Apr 1942

[13] Capitol Journal, 27 May 1942

[14] Capitol Journal, 21 July 1942

[15] Oregon Statesman, 18 Dec 1943

[16] Oregon Statesman, 14 Sep 1944

[17] Oregon Statesman, 28 July 1949

[18] Oregon Statesman, 8 March 1950

[19] Oregon Statesman, 10 Aug 1954

[20] Capitol Journal, 9 Apr 1955

[21] Oregon Statesman, 4 Oct 1959

[22] Oregon Statesman, 11 Oct 1960

[23] Capitol Journal, 9 June 1964

[24] Oregon Statesman, 29 Aug 1964

[25] Oregon Statesman, 26 Feb 1965

[26] Oregon Statesman, 10 July 1973

[27] Oregon Statesman, 28 Feb 1974

[28] Oregon Statesman, 20 Jan 1979