Who you gonna call?

Lists part 2

The phone book from last Friday is interesting for the fact that there is only one government telephone number listed...sort of.

The First Smyrna mayor was Joseph Engles, an Attorney. He first took office in 1869 when Smyrna was first Incorporated. He was the mayor until the town was dis-incorporated in 1881.

A little from an online timeline will help.

1881 Smyrna incorporation is revoked by the state of Tennessee.
1905 First telephone switchboard is installed in Smyrna.
1908 Bank of Smyrna (later People's Bank of Smyrna) is founded.
1915 Smyrna gets electrical power and is reincorporated with Dr. J.W. Engles, son of Joseph Engles, as mayor.
1916 John Hager, Sr. converts a 1913 Studebaker into the first Smyrna fire engine.
1924 Smyrna assesses property tax to support a fire department.
1930 Census counts 531 Smyrnæans.
1937 Smyrna builds a municipal water system with fire hydrants.

Note that the first phones were in 1905, so maybe Peyton Clothing co had that number 1 number since the beginning, or was it a system where you had to call 'Sarah' like in the Andy Griffith Show to connect you to Mount Pilot.

In the 1930 phone book the Mayor at the time was Dr. J.W. Engles, the son of the first Mayor. He was listed and you could get him by dialing 57.

There is two listings that oddly enough have the same number. The Smyrna Auto co. and the Fire Department. Who you gonna call? Both I guess.

This is just a section from the town website for the Smyrna Fire Department.

At this time Ben Culbertson, the grandfather of current Fire Chief William Culbertson, was appointed the first official fire chief and placed in charge. The engine was housed at the Smyrna Auto Company, located at 108 North Lowry Street. Mr. Doss O'neal, who is pictured with the 1924 Model-T, worked at this site and kept the apparatus in good condition. In 1931, the Town Commissioners again voted to replace the 1924 Model -T. A 1931 Chevrolet 1 1/2 ton truck was selected. This apparatus carried a large water tank and had a force pump mounted on the engine itself. 

By 1937 the Town was equipped with water hydrants and the 1931 Chevrolet was reworked for a smaller tank but was equipped with fifteen hundred foot of hose. No major fire losses were reported after the implementation of city water. A humorous side note from this era, was that if a fire occurred at night, the responding fire fighters would have to break a small glass pane at the Smyrna Auto Company  to gain entry, due to being locked at nights.

 I guess "break glass in case of fire" really meant something back then.

One of the Photos of the first Smyrna firetruck shows many of the original volunteer firemen. This is the vehicle they had when the 1930 phone book was printed. Awesome isn't it.

From right to left on the rear was Allen Gooch, Sam Edmondson and Alden Maddux. Seated as the driver is Doss O'Neal, Chief Ben Culbertson is seated in the passenger seat. The first doctor in Smyrna, Dr. J.M. Shipp is to the right of the apparatus in the white shirt, facing the camera. Photo taken at delivery of apparatus by train in 1924.

Of course this image of their shiny new truck was in 1924, but most are listed in the 1930 phone book.

Allen Gooch (A number for Mrs. Allen Gooch is 15)
80  Sam Edmondson
60  Aldon Maddux
Doss O'Neal (No O'Neals in any community in the phone book)
6  Chief Ben Culbertson.

Back then in a community of only 531 people I guess everyone knew the mayor to a point, as either a friend, their doctor, or mayor. Talk about the smallness of a community.