At 6:30pm on June 19, 1900, a fire ignited in a mill on the south side of Elmwood Ave (close to today’s Middleton Senior Center). There was a strong wind that night out of the east and the fire quickly spread. The residents of what was at the time called Middleton Station, did what they could, but by morning, 31 buildings were destroyed including everything between the current library’s front door and the intersection of Parmenter and University. At the time, Middleton Station didn’t have an organized fire department, but within a few months of the fire, on February 4, 1901, Middleton Fire Company No. 1 was formed as 22 village residents volunteered to be there when their neighbors, friends and families needed help.

Those founding members quickly bought one of the few downtown buildings to survive the fire and made it the first fire station. In 1906 they acquired our first, hand drawn chemical cart for transporting water to a fire – it is still on display in our lobby. In 1907 the village constructed a public water system that supplied pressurized water. In 1923, our first motorized fire engine arrived – a 1923 Obenchain-Boyer Model T. It still runs and is on display, along with our second truck – a 1929 Pirsch, in the lobby at Station 1.

The area around the village grew over the next couple decades and in 1947, the Middleton Fire District was formed to protect the City of Middleton, the Town of Middleton and portions of the Towns of Westport and Springfield. This district remains in place today, encompassing 54 square miles and over $9.2 billion in property value.

We proudly continue to operate as the largest volunteer department in the state of Wisconsin. Our members selflessly devote their time and abilities to protecting the lives and property of our district. Their dedication is integral to our community’s safety and strength.