Firefighting in Hopkinsville

Organized in 1832, the Hopkinsville Union Fire Company represented the first attempt to provide fire protection for the town of Hopkinsville, which had 1,260 residents at that time. Succeeding volunteer groups (called runners) were created through the remainder of the 19th century. By 1900, a paid, professional fire department had been established with the firemen and equipment housed in the old town market house at the intersection of Fifth and Main Streets. Five years later, the City of Hopkinsville completed the new Central Fire Station located on East Ninth Street between Liberty and Clay Streets. In October 1924, the destruction of this building by fire generated widespread comment. A new station was built within the original walls of the burned building. This facility served as the Hopkinsville Fire Station until the department moved to the new Main Station on West First Street in May 1964.

Coauthors and historians Chris Gilkey and William T. Turner are natives of Hopkinsville. Their interest in local history, especially through the camera's eye, includes the effort to chronicle the history of the Hopkinsville Fire Department. Both men are active in the restoration of the 1925 Hopkinsville Fire Station, soon to be opened as the Woody Winfree Fire-Transportation Museum.