"You can hang gold braids on a man 'till it drags down to the floor, but it's the firefighters who put out the fires," was the favorite saying of Charles Earle More, who for all time will hold the record of the longest service for any fireman in the city of Tacoma, Washington. Because of new rules , no fireman will be able to break the record set when he retired May 28, 1959. He held the position for 46 years as his service record reads.
Earle was born to William Thomas More and wife, Eva May Shoemaker. As a school teacher from Estella, PA., then the teacher of a one-room school in Eastern Washington, More said he liked firefighting better when his wife, Verda, encouraged him to continue his schooling for the required teaching certificate. He was only a sub then, 22 years old at Engine House Number 9. The year was 1913 when he became a stoker on the horse-drawn Amoskeg steam pumper and by 1915, he was awarded Badge Number 130 and made a full-fledged fireman.During his years as a fireman, he carried a child out of a fire and saved the child's life.
In 1921, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1929, he became Captain with a company of his own and in 1944, he was named Battalion Chief, responsible for the safety of half of the city of Tacoma.
"I can remember the horses, remember driving them, and remember their names, Nip, Dick and Joe." More said shortly before his death. "The big Horse Chestnut tree in front of my office window, Well, I helped plant that tree about 1918 or '20. The flagpole, I helped Rufus Harbin make it and raise it."
Engine House Number 9 has since been remodled into a restaurant/tavern complete with memorabilia, its day of dedication set aside as a tribute to More.
He was married to Verda for almost 60 years. They had no children. They enjoyed camping and fishing and he raised a garden including blueberry and Marionberry bushes. His garage, tools, his garden, were meticuously organized and cared for. At the end of his life when he was dying of cancer, rather than be a burden, he took his own life.
Earle was born to William Thomas More and wife, Eva May Shoemaker. As a school teacher from Estella, PA., then the teacher of a one-room school in Eastern Washington, More said he liked firefighting better when his wife, Verda, encouraged him to continue his schooling for the required teaching certificate. He was only a sub then, 22 years old at Engine House Number 9. The year was 1913 when he became a stoker on the horse-drawn Amoskeg steam pumper and by 1915, he was awarded Badge Number 130 and made a full-fledged fireman.During his years as a fireman, he carried a child out of a fire and saved the child's life.
In 1921, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1929, he became Captain with a company of his own and in 1944, he was named Battalion Chief, responsible for the safety of half of the city of Tacoma.
"I can remember the horses, remember driving them, and remember their names, Nip, Dick and Joe." More said shortly before his death. "The big Horse Chestnut tree in front of my office window, Well, I helped plant that tree about 1918 or '20. The flagpole, I helped Rufus Harbin make it and raise it."
Engine House Number 9 has since been remodled into a restaurant/tavern complete with memorabilia, its day of dedication set aside as a tribute to More.
He was married to Verda for almost 60 years. They had no children. They enjoyed camping and fishing and he raised a garden including blueberry and Marionberry bushes. His garage, tools, his garden, were meticuously organized and cared for. At the end of his life when he was dying of cancer, rather than be a burden, he took his own life.
"You can hang gold braids on a man 'till it drags down to the floor, but it's the firefighters who put out the fires," was the favorite saying of Charles Earle More, who for all time will hold the record of the longest service for any fireman in the city of Tacoma, Washington. Because of new rules , no fireman will be able to break the record set when he retired May 28, 1959. He held the position for 46 years as his service record reads.
Earle was born to William Thomas More and wife, Eva May Shoemaker. As a school teacher from Estella, PA., then the teacher of a one-room school in Eastern Washington, More said he liked firefighting better when his wife, Verda, encouraged him to continue his schooling for the required teaching certificate. He was only a sub then, 22 years old at Engine House Number 9. The year was 1913 when he became a stoker on the horse-drawn Amoskeg steam pumper and by 1915, he was awarded Badge Number 130 and made a full-fledged fireman.During his years as a fireman, he carried a child out of a fire and saved the child's life.
In 1921, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1929, he became Captain with a company of his own and in 1944, he was named Battalion Chief, responsible for the safety of half of the city of Tacoma.
"I can remember the horses, remember driving them, and remember their names, Nip, Dick and Joe." More said shortly before his death. "The big Horse Chestnut tree in front of my office window, Well, I helped plant that tree about 1918 or '20. The flagpole, I helped Rufus Harbin make it and raise it."
Engine House Number 9 has since been remodled into a restaurant/tavern complete with memorabilia, its day of dedication set aside as a tribute to More.
He was married to Verda for almost 60 years. They had no children. They enjoyed camping and fishing and he raised a garden including blueberry and Marionberry bushes. His garage, tools, his garden, were meticuously organized and cared for. At the end of his life when he was dying of cancer, rather than be a burden, he took his own life.
Earle was born to William Thomas More and wife, Eva May Shoemaker. As a school teacher from Estella, PA., then the teacher of a one-room school in Eastern Washington, More said he liked firefighting better when his wife, Verda, encouraged him to continue his schooling for the required teaching certificate. He was only a sub then, 22 years old at Engine House Number 9. The year was 1913 when he became a stoker on the horse-drawn Amoskeg steam pumper and by 1915, he was awarded Badge Number 130 and made a full-fledged fireman.During his years as a fireman, he carried a child out of a fire and saved the child's life.
In 1921, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1929, he became Captain with a company of his own and in 1944, he was named Battalion Chief, responsible for the safety of half of the city of Tacoma.
"I can remember the horses, remember driving them, and remember their names, Nip, Dick and Joe." More said shortly before his death. "The big Horse Chestnut tree in front of my office window, Well, I helped plant that tree about 1918 or '20. The flagpole, I helped Rufus Harbin make it and raise it."
Engine House Number 9 has since been remodled into a restaurant/tavern complete with memorabilia, its day of dedication set aside as a tribute to More.
He was married to Verda for almost 60 years. They had no children. They enjoyed camping and fishing and he raised a garden including blueberry and Marionberry bushes. His garage, tools, his garden, were meticuously organized and cared for. At the end of his life when he was dying of cancer, rather than be a burden, he took his own life.
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