Old Munichburg Association, Fire Museum seek photos of old fire bell towers

To help preserve and showcase the community's history, Old Munichburg Association and Fire Museum of Jefferson City are seeking photos of the old Jefferson City fire bell towers.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were about four bell towers in Jefferson City, including one in the Old Munichburg area. The Old Munichburg Association plans to construct a smaller version of the bell tower at the corner of Dunklin and Washington streets to memorialize the neighborhood's history.

"We want to find out all the history we can about the area and memorialize or re-create what we can as historical markers or facts," Old Munichburg Association President Bill Luebbert said.

When there was a fire in a particular area of town, residents would ring the bell at the neighborhood's bell tower and volunteer firefighters would rush to the area to extinguish the flames. The bell towers housed hose carts, so "they were kind of like the first fire houses in Jefferson City," Jefferson City Fire Department Capt. Steve Holtmeier said.

While the original tower was 18-20 feet tall and made of wood, Luebbert said, the reconstructed bell tower would not be this tall and would not be made of wood due to liability and maintenance.

In November, the Jefferson City Council approved the construction of a fire bell tower adjacent to 126 W. Dunklin St. According to the request, the reconstructed bell tower would be 3 feet around and stand about 15 feet tall, including a metal structure that would hold a bell.

Before constructing the replica, the association wants to see more photos of the old bell tower. Those with photos can call 573-634-6426 or message the Jefferson City Fire Museum on Facebook.

Holtmeier, who is also the Fire Museum board president, said creating a marker of the original tower not only preserves some history of Old Munichburg and the fire department, but it also shows how the department helped the developing town.

"I think it's a great thing," he said. "A problem we have is a lot of the history was loss, and we don't know what happened with the bells. We have some ideas of where some of the bells went to, but you just don't know what happened to these things. So I think it's a great thing we're trying to promote the history of Jefferson City."