The Village of Fredericktown, Knox County's largest village was platted in 1807 by John Kerr, operator of the first mill there. Lucas Sullivant, a Virginian, who laid out the Village of Franklinton, later Columbus, held a tract of 4,000 acres in that area, and gave Mr. Kerr 50 acres on the condition that the latter would build a mill. The land was at that time, mostly unbroken wilderness, crossed by two Indian trails and with a small Quaker settlement to the west of the present village.
Mr. Kerr had the foresight to buy an additional 450 acres from Mr. Sullivant, and the village grew around his mill as land-hungry settlers arrived from the east during the next few years.
Lying practically on the northern frontier in Ohio during the War of 1812, Fredericktown was the site of a blockhouse during the war, and at that time bad nine log cabins and one frame building. After the war, the blockhouse was used as a school and as a church. John Garrison opened the first store in 1812. The first road through the village, built in 1809, was the Upper Fredericktown-Mount Vernon Road. William Y. Farquhar, who surveyed and platted the village for Mr. Kerr, became an early settler, along with his brother W. Y. Farquhar, and a cousin, Henry Roberts.
The village apparently grew slowly during it's first four decades, but it did acquire a post office in 1828 and about that same time, a school building was erected near the blockhouse site and served for some 20 years until a brick building was constructed. By 1840, Fredericktown's population had grown to 500 and it was the commercial center for the northwestern quarter of Knox County, lying, as it did, in an advantageous location at the junction of the four townships of Middlebury, Berlin, Wayne and Morris.
On March 22, 1850, the village was incorporated, and the first elections were in May, with the officers elected being: Mayor- George W. Woodcock, Recorder-Thomas A. Reed, Marshal-Payton Anderson, Treasurer-Thomas V. Parker, Trustees- George Heister, George Moore, William Gibson and Archibald Greenlee.
In May of 1854 the threat of fire was so high that one of the first ordinances passed "made it unlawful to make or kindle any fire outside of any building without permit from the office of the mayor, and the use of any lighted candle or other lights shall be secure within a proper lantern in all barns, stables or outbuildings within village limits." Any straying from the rules "was to bring a sharp rap of the marshal at the door."
Most importantly in the department history was the organization of the volunteer fire company in 1854. All firemen were provided with "speaking trumpets" and a round crown wool hat that was painted white with the title of their office in black letters. In addition to these tools, it was the job of the chief engineer, as be was called at the time, to "command water from any private cistern, well, or other reservoir" and to remove "with reasonable care" all fences, bars, gates, or doors that might prevent efficient operation. With this, the origins of the fire service in Fredericktown were born.
Prior to 1974 the Fredericktown Community Fire District had been through many name changes indeed. While the names changed, for all purposes the people, the equipment, and structure never really changed. Prior to our current name, we were known as:
At the April 1973 Fire Board meeting, the minutes showed that Board Member Robert Melick was asked to talk with the village council to take over the fire equipment. Information would come back at the August 2, 1973 Board Meeting that it was recommended the board of trustees, and the villages form a Joint Fire District. At that meeting the motion carried. Further making the move to the Joint Fire District, in December 1973 1t was moved that the Fire Company take the steps to dissolve its assets. At the special January 1, 1974 meeting the assets of the department were as follows:
While there are many facts and pieces of information that you can learn about your department, here are a few to start you along your journey. More about our department has been forgotten, lost, and not passed on, something that we strive to change as we pass on our knowledge to new members, our current members, our community, and family who may carry on in our footsteps.
The Fredericktown Community Fire District is a progressive and active fire department that protects 9000 residents in 118 square miles of northwest Knox County in Central Ohio.