New Hope Eagle Fire Co. Celebrates 200th With A Parade

NEW HOPE —The New Hope Eagle Fire Company pulled out all the stops on Saturday for its 200th anniversary by hosting a fire parade through the streets of town.

As sirens wailed, more than 65 companies from throughout Bucks County - and beyond - rolled down Main and Bridge streets, showcasing the latest in fire apparatus and restored antiques.

Companies came from as far away as Edgely in Lower Bucks and Springtown in Upper Bucks to help Eagle celebrate. Other companies responded from Lambertville, Midway, Newtown, Upper Makefield, Doylestown, Yardley-Makefield, Morrisville among many others.

Residents and business owners filled the sidewalks along what would have been a busy Saturday morning in downtown New Hope to wave flags and to applaud their hometown volunteers.

That sight meant the world to Eagle’s Fire Chief Kevin Doherty as he rode the parade route.

“To see all those people taking the time out of what usually is a very busy Saturday to recognize how important our volunteers are to the community meant a lot,” he said.

The pride and joy of New Hope - Eagle’s modern firefighting apparatus - led the parade through town to cheers and applause all along the way.

Among the highlights of the parade was an original 1830s hand-drawn hose cart from the company’s early days. It is on loan to the company for a year from the Mercer Museum in Doylestown.

“When you look at that it gives you perspective on what firefighting must have been like back then … They used pretty much a wooden bucket with a hand-pumping device to put out fires," said Doherty. "They didn’t have turnout gear. They got out of bed and fought fires in their own clothes. Today we have turnout gear that costs us $5,000 a set. It puts everything into perspective on how we have evolved in the fire services. We have become more of a firefighting department.”

Of course, back in those days, the small village of New Hope had just a handful of buildings. And there were just two to three calls a year.

“Today we do 500 to 520 calls a year,” said the chief. “Sometimes it tires you out,” he admits, “but when you put the word out that we need help, 30 guys are showing up.”

The company also arranged to have four of its 50-year members, dressed in historic gear and helmets, ride on the back of its 1951 Mack Truck to represent members, past and present, who have served the company over its 200 year history. The firefighters represented 307 years of service by an amazing crew, said Doherty.

The fire company, believed to be the oldest in the county, was formed in 1822 when horses were the main means of local transportation and the President of the United States was James Monroe, the last of the founding fathers to hold the office.

Two hundred years later, and the company is still going strong, which Doherty attributes to generations of families who have dedicated themselves to the fire service, like the Markey, Cosner and Keen families.

The parade was the highlight of Eagle’s 200th celebration, which is chaired by Claire Shaw, the fire company’s president.

The fire company continued its weekend celebration on Sunday with a “Dash For The Axe” 5K Run and Walk and will cap it all off with a community open house on Thursday, June 16 from 6 to 9 p.m.