Sounding the Alarm

Sounding the Alarm. . , “Ring out wild bell to the wind sky, the flying cloud, the frosty light.” , , Alfred Lord Tennyson, Fires of terrifying magnitude threatened Leadville and the surrounding hills throughout the summer of 1879. Fire broke out within Leadville as well, and the subsequent fear of a blaze that would level the city resulted in a demand by citizens for fire hydrants and an alarm bell. The bell was ordered in July. , The fire bell was manufactured by Meneely and Kimberly of Troy, New York, for $480. The bell weighed 1600 pounds. A dedication celebration was held on August 8, 1879, when the grand bell was hoisted into its position in the tower of the Central Fire Station at 120 East 2nd Street, followed by the first ringing of the bell at 12 o'clock noon. , In 1938 the Leadville City Council granted a contract to remove the bell from 2nd Street and to place it in a 20-foot high, gleaming white tower behind the new fire station at 704 Harrison Ave. , For many years, at 9:00 pm each night, the bell tolled nine times to warn youngsters to hurry home. The huge bell rang out the curfew day after day until it was retired in 1945. In 1976 the city decided that the fabled bell's role during 96 years of Leadville's history had earned it a place of honor. , The historic fire and curfew bell became the property of the Lake County Civic Center Association and was relocated to LCCCA property where it stands today.