On December 17, 1942,
Portland, Maine Firefighters organized as “Portland Firefighters Local 740”
of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
PFD Members had
originally organized years earlier as “Local 133” of the IAFF in 1918, which
was the charter year of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Records from the IAFF
show nine names on the original 1918 charter:
William J.
Hawkins, President
Frank D. Davis
Joseph L.
Blake, Vice-President George
P. Cady
William S.
Fuller, Correspondence Secretary Edward A.
Hogdon
John J.
Gubbins, Financial Secretary Frank
E. Devine
Frank P.
Carr, Treasurer
The address listed for
the correspondence was Ladder Company 3, 163 Brackett Street, Portland,
Maine.
In 1922,
Local 133 forfeited their Charter in the wake of the famous Boston Police
Strike in 1919 that eventually propelled Governor Calvin Coolidge to the
White House. This era saw many IAFF Local's disbanded across the country
including Boston Local 718 (then Local 125). Many of the Local's
re-affiliated in the1940's with Local 740 rejoining almost 20 years to the
day on December 17, 1942.
(Editors note; the names are printed as accurately as
can be determined from the documents in the IAFF Archives. Special thanks to
Anne Marie in the IAFF Membership Department.)
