86th Chenango County Fireman’s Convention begins tonight

MOUNT UPTON – The 86th Chenango County Firemen’s Convention kicks off at 5:30 tonight at the Borden Hose Company fire department in Mount Upton.

“About 125 people are expected to be on hand,” said Borden hose company veteran volunteer firefighter James Percival.

The banquet will begin with a memorial and dedication ceremony where the past, present and future members of the volunteer department in both the Mt. Upton and Rockdale stations will be honored with a mill stone from Vermont.

Percival, a 62-year member of the department, said this will be the company’s fourth time hosting the convention, and this year is “special” because it is Borden’s centennial as well. “We are celebrating both the convention and 100 years in service,” he said.

Following the dedication ceremony, the banquet will include a social hour, dinner and speakers including New York State Assemblyman Cliff Crouch, Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith and representatives from Guilford.

A full day of events are scheduled at the department on Saturday, including a firematics show between 1 and 1:30 p.m., a chicken barbecue, a parade starting at 5:30 p.m., and various displays and seminars covering the fire department grounds.

A book describing the county and another compiled by Borden members will be on display and on sale.

History of the Borden Hose Company

The history of Borden Hose Company dates back to September 1908, after the first ever New Year’s Eve ball dropped in Times Square and the 46th star (representing Oklahoma) was added to the American Flag. Men working at the Borden Company in Mt. Upton were beginning to organize the area’s first fire department. The men were given orders to secure and protect the old Borden Milk Company from fire.

Eight years later, the department acquired its first chemical truck, which consisted of two tanks and extension ladders. It wasn’t until 15 years later that the company had its first real fire truck, a Model T Ford.

By 1925, as the department was still gaining ground, the greatest fire in the history of Mt. Upton occurred. Firefighter Percival, who joined in 1946, remembers what the “old timers” would recall from “the great fire.”

Fourteen buildings were involved after a fire ignited in an electrical generator. The entire business district burnt to the ground in a matter of hours, including a block of businesses, three houses, six barns, a barber shop, a hen house, two apartments and a garage.