History

The Ellwood Volunteer Fire Company protects what is known as the

Ellwood Fire District No. 1 of the Town of Tonawanda, New York.

The protection area consists of Kenmore Avenue to Sheridan Drive,

between Klauder Avenue, Midland Avenue, and Parker to Delaware

Road. In the year 1918, approximately thirty-one families occupied

this area. Seeking fire protection for their families, three men

attended a Town of Tonawanda board meeting and met with the

Town Attorney and Town Engineer regarding the location of a fire

hall. A meeting of the taxpayers took place at the Zuege home, and

the first Board of Commissioners were elected.

Founding Fathers of Ellwood -1921

Chairman………....William Gilchrist

Secretary…………..Edward Bauman

Treasurer…………..George Conover

Commissioner……..Edward Schaefer

Commissioner……..…Charles Zuege

These men took out mortgages on their houses and farms for

$1000 each to secure a loan for the first fire hall build.

The first Volunteer Fire Company organized in 1921, was

composed of the following members:

President………….Edward Bauman Warden…..John Deering

Vice President…..H Vernon Werner Chief………..Fred Zuege

Treasurer………....William Henel Captain…….Clarence Hirschbeck

Secretary…………..Arthur Doell

T. Whitney Belcher John Mueller

George Conover Charles Rogers

Patrick Darragh Edward Schaefer

William Gilchrist Richard Smith

Burt Heath Charles Zuege

Merle Heath Emil Zuege

Albert Kagelmacher Wilhelm Zuege

 

Past Chiefs

 

Fred Zuege 1922-27

Joe Henel 1928-29

G. Willis 1930-31

P.C Andrews 1932-33

William Mehl 1934-35

Bob Schaefer 1936-37

George Mason 1938-39

Norman Felger 1940-41

Hugh Friedl 1942-43

Fred Beck 1944-45

Peter Weber 1946-47

J.G. Wetherill 1948-50,56

William Zuege 1951-52

Jim Reidy 1953-54

Ted Wurster,Jr. 1955

Mike Hagen 1957-58

Flody Frey 1959-60

Fred Pope 1961-62

Roger Pfeiffer 1963-64

Al Padegomis 1965-66

Robert Paschka 1967-68

Jack Stuff 1969-70

Joe Benintende 1971-72

Bob Carncross 1973-74

Dick Quattrini 1975-76

Ken Olson 1977-78

Benny Polizzi 1979-80

Rip Prem 1981-82

Homer McGill 1983-84

Gerald Sekuterski 1985

Robert Schaller 1986-88

Robert Pohlman 1989-90

Thomas Smith 1991-92

Paul Prautzsch 1993-94

John Lauck 1995-96

Roger Restorff 1997-98

Edward Rick 1999-2000

Patrick Stillwell 2001-02

Jerry Lattin 2003

Roger Restorff 2004

Kenneth Olson 2005-06

David Van Dewater, Sr.2007-08

Michael Iannello 2009-10

Jamie Olson 2011-12

Gary Stuff 2013-14

John Lauck 2015-16

Brian Nigro 2017-18

Robert Schaller 2019

Daniel Prem 2020-21

Brian Nigro 2022-Present

 

Past Presidents

E. Bauman 1921

T.W. Belcher 1922-24

B.L. Heath 1925

A. Doell 1926

J. Brady 1927-28

A. Kagelmacher 1929-31

Earl Gates 1932-35

A. Kagelmacher 1936-42

George Butler 1943

Norman Felger 1943-45

A. Kagelmacher 1946

Ed Bogold 1947-48

Clarence Granger 1949-51-52

Ralph Howe 1950

William Daley 1953-54

Kermit Howard 1955-56

Cyril Thorpe 1957

Ray Rasbach 1958-59

Al Lesko 1960-61

Tom Cocker 1962-63

Richard Gibney 1964-65

Joe Benintende 1966-67

Ed Litwin 1968-69

Robert Restorff 1970-71

John Drozynski 1971

Ray Howard 1972-73

Paul Keefe 1974-75

Brett Hennessy 1976-77

Homer McGill 1978-79

Robert Carncross 1980-81

Paul Murphy 1982-83

Bob Adamek 1984-85

Gary Magaris 1986-87

Jim Mertz 1988-89

Darryl VanLear 1990-91

Daniel Griffin 1992-93

Dean Leaderstorf 1994-95

Kelly Blount 1996-97

Larry Ienco 1998-99

Greg Kapodistria 2000-01

John E. Donnelly 2002-03

DJ Van Dewater Jr.2004-05

Eric Fitscher 2006-2007

Kelly Blount 2008-09

Pat Van Dewater 2010-11

Brian Ienco 2012-13

Mike Wyzykiewicz 2014-15

Brad Bauman 2016-17

Mike Pucser 2018-19

Jeff McGill 2020-2021

John Bresnock 2022-present

 

Ellwood Exempt officers 

past presidents

W.C. Gilchrist 1930-31

A.F. Kagelmacher 1932-35

C. Zuege 1936-39

J.S. Mueller 1940-41

H. Ernst 1942-43

E. Bauman 1944-45

T. Wurster, Sr. 1946-47

G.E. Mason 1948

J. Carncross 1949-50

W. Stuff, Sr. 1951-52

P.G. Weber 1953-54

C.J. Granger 1955-56

R.F. Howe 1957-58

Robert Meidel 1959-60

Ed Sallis 1961-62

E.M. Bogold 1963-64

Mike Hagen 1965-66

Carl Yotter 1967

Jack Stuff 1968-69

William Fischer 1970-71

J.G. Wetherill 1972-73

Leon Jacobs 1974-75

Jack Human 1976-77

Robert Paschka 1978-79

William Zuege 1980-81

John Drozynski 1982-83

Ray Howard 1984-85

Russel Gentner 1986-87

Robert Blount 1988-89

Howard Bagley 1990-91

Dennis Howard 1992-93

Jim Mertz 1994-95

Paul Murphy 1996-97

Thomas Smith 1998-99

Paul Prautzsch 2000-01

Homer McGill 2002-03

Richard Quattrini 2004-05

Roy Starkey 2006-07

Gary Magaris 2008-09

Tom Smith 2010-11

Robert Pohlman 2012-13

David Van Dewater Sr.2014-15

Greg Kapodistria 2016-17

Kelly Blount 2018-19

John Donnelly 2020-21

Robert Carncross 2022-Present

 

Ellwood Fire District Officers

Edward Whitham 1934-39 Commissioner

Pearly Andrews 1934-50 Commissioner

Charles Zuege 1934-42 Commissioner

Edward Yotter 1934-37 Comm/ Sec’y

Gerald Willis 1934-35 Commissioner

Joseph McNamara 1934-36 Treasurer

Thomas Ray 1936 Secretary

John Mueller 1936-63 Commissioner

Edward Bauman 1937 Treasurer

Norman Felger 1937-51 Sec’y/Treas

Motiford Schrader 1938-47 Commissioner

Theodore Wurster 1940-56 Commissioner

Fred Zuege 1943-55 Commissioner

Joseph Sich 1948-52 Commissioner

George Butler 1951-61 Commissioner

George Mason 1952-67 Sec’y/Treas

Raymond Pfeiffer 1953-75 Commissioner

Ralph Howe 1956-66 Commissioner

J.G. Wetherill 1957-74 Commissioner

Floyd Frey 1962-65 Commissioner

Paul Keefe 1964-68 Commissioner

Fred Pope 1966-90 Commissioner

Fred Pope 1966-90 Commissioner

Michael Cullinan 1967-86, 92-95 Commissioner

Russell Gentner 1967–75 Treasurer

Leon Jacobs 1968-83 Secretary

Roger Pfeiffer 1969-82 Commissioner

George Myers 1975-81 Treasurer

Russell Gentner 1974-93 Commissioner

Richard Quattrini 1976-2012 Commissioner

John Drozynski 1982-84, 89-93 Treasurer

Richard Prem 1983-89 Commissioner

Raymond Howard 1984-2004 Secretary

Robert Restorff 1985-88 Treasurer

Homer McGill 1987-91 Commissioner

Robert Schaller 1989-2003 Commissioner

Robert Blount 1991-2019 Commissioner

Homer McGill 1994-2004 Commissioner

Roy Starkey 1994-Present Treasurer

Mark Werwinski 1995-2001 Commissioner

Raymond Howard 2001-2006 Commissioner

John Hennessy 2004-Present Commissioner

Homer McGill 2004-06 Secretary

Larry Ienco 2005-20 Commissioner

Daniel Griffin 2007-11 Commissioner

John Donnelly 2007-Present Secretary

David Van Dewater Sr. 2012-21 Commissioner

Kelly Blount 2013-Present Commissioner

Michael Iannello 2020-Present Commissioner

Michael Pucser 2021-Present Commissioner

Gary Stuff 2022-Present Commissioner

 

To see our current body of members, visit the members tab, to see our current executive board and firematic officers, visit the officers tab. 


© 2023 Ellwood Volunteer Fire Department