HISTORY OF COVENTRY FIRE DEPARTMENT

The fire department started in 1928 with two full time men. Sid Wellock was the first chief. (His wife is still living and her name is martha Wellock. She is well known in Coventry.) Sid's fellow fireman in 1928 was Henry Cormany. The first fire engine Coventry started with was loaned to them by Barberton. The first engine purchased by Coventry was a 1928 Prospect made in Prospect, Ohio. The next engine purchased was a 1930 Seagraves. ‘If anyone was injured in Coventry, they took them to the hospital on the fire truck.

Coventry F.D. used to furnish fire protection as far as Kenmore, South Akron, much of Green, Springfield and Franklin. Coventry had the first full time township fire department in the state of Ohio, as far as we could exhaustively research it. Coventry F.D. was also the first township to have an emergency medical service. In 1936, 2 more full time firemen were hired. They were Harry Wellock and a man called "Pappy" Walters. In 1940, 2 more firemen were hired for a total of 6. Their names were Guy McCuen and Ray Smith.

In 1940 the first emergency ambulance was purchased. It was a 1940 GMC Carry-All. The firemen nicknamed it the "Black Maria." In 1946 the fire department sold the Prospect engine and an open cab International was purchased. In 1952 the Seagraves destroyed in the Warner Boat house fire. It was replaced with a 1953 Diamond T.

The original ambulance was replaced with a 63 Chevrolet Carry-All. In 1969 the 1963 Chevrolet emergency vehicle was replaced by a 1969 Oldsmobile regular full-length commercial ambulance. In 1973 the 69 Oldsmobile was replaced by a 1973 Dodge box van emergency vehicle. In one year, there were a record setting 17 drownings in the Portage Lakes.

The most number of runs ever made by Coventry Fire Department in one day was 26. There were 21 grass and brush fires, 2 dwelling fires and 3 heart attacks, all D.O.A. The largest single property loss was the Warner Boat House in October 1952. Destroyed were 125 canoes, 35 outboard boats, approximately 75 outboard motors, 60 inboard boats and miscellaneous tools and merchandise. This was over a one million dollar loss! There was a large home next to the boat house that was destroyed too. The second largest loss was the original Firestone Country Club.

The old original Sandy Beach Summer restaurant and banquet hall, which was a very large wooden structure, was destroyed by fire. At that time, Coventry protected all of Sandy Beach south to 619. When Coventry hosted the Summit County Firemen’s Association meeting, we always held a large, fresh, Lake Erie perch fish fry for the County firemen at Sandy Beach. The Lutheran church at Cormany road and Portage Lakes Drive was also a large dollar loss. The church was gutted. Green Fire Department assisted on that one. The old original Hillcrest on 619 was at one time a commercial chicken house. It was gutted by fire and thousands of chickens were killed. Coventry fought that fire.

The Grandview Inn at North Turkeyfoot and Portage Lakes Drive was destroyed by fire.

This is a summary of some of the fires over the years:

Art's Place on Waterloo was gutted twice. Mallo’s Night club was destroyed by fire. It is now Mallo’s legal Clinic. Lakeview Market was partially destroyed with heavy smoke damage. Several firemen got sick from toxic fumes from plastic wall tile. Behind the cabinet shop across from Lakeview Market, Akron Novelty made matches, sparklers and fireworks. It blew up injuring and burning several women. At the corner of Portage Lakes Drive and Main street, there was a very large wooden structure. It was an Italian restaurant and was partially gutted by fire. There was a beer joint located where Friess Welding is now. It was destroyed by fire. There was a grocery market located where the old state liquor store was, long before the plaza was built. It was destroyed by fire along with an adjoining barber and beauty shop. That whole corner on both sides was known as White Front. In back of First National Bank and the rest of the plaza, was the original township dump. It often caught fire and the fire department would have to work on it for days at a time. That dump was closed and the last township was just east of Logan field on North Turkeyfoot Road. It would catch fire and the fire department would lay lines from the Mill Race to fight it for days at a time. There was a commercial cabinet shop on Ley Drive that would catch fire and the fire department would lay lines from the Ohio Canal. The old Stocks Night Club on Killian road was destroyed by fire.

One of the highest honors accorded to the Coventry Fire Department was when President Lyndon Johnson ran for re-election in 1964. He came to Akron on his campaign trip. The Coventry emergency squad was chosen to meet his plane at the Akron/Canton airport. When the plane landed, the squad followed it down the runway . The squad then stayed at the airport while he and his wife, Secret Service, FBI agents and entourage, went into Akron. When they came back, the squad followed the plane down the runway for the take- off. The Coventry firemen had to be cleared ahead of time by the Secret Service and the FBI. There was a Summit County doctor who rode with the squad. Ray Martin, Merv Griffin, Dr. Scudderi.

The old Comet Lunch across from the Junior High was destroyed by fire. The fire department laid lines from North Reservoir. The old Blue Willow Inn on Anchor Drive was destroyed by fire.

The fire chiefs in order. 66 years

Sid Wellock,

Henry Cormany,

Guy McCuen,

Ray Smith,

Ted Steele,

Merv Griffis,

Ray Martin,

George Scullen,

David Calderone

Just west of the Kiwanis Civic Center, there is a large parking lot on Portage Lakes Drive. Almost across from the little spillway from North Reservoir there used to be a large night club called Riley’s. It was well known for its gambling and racketeering connections. One morning about 0400, it was blown up in a tremendous explosion that could be heard for miles. It was completely destroyed by the explosion and fire. An interesting note about the place is that Dean Martin, the singer and movie star, used to perform there when he first got started and was practically unknown.

Another large fire was to the interior of the Russian Orthodox Church on Robinson Avenue. This fire killed a priest.