Former Fire Chief speaks to Historical Society

During the January meeting of the Clarendon County Historical Society, 2018 President Peggi Sorrell and Vice President/Treasurer Gene Benfield were re-elected to those positions for 2019. The election for secretary was held until the March meeting. Colonel Summers informed the Society the Francis Marion Mural Society presently has two tours booked and one program request for April. He also stated John Oller, author of The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution, will speak at the College of Charleston Library on February 12. The Francis Marion Symposium will be held October 25-26. On February 27, Francis Marion Memorial Day will be held in Pineville at Marion’s grave at 11 a.m. All are invited to attend. Jerry Robertson offered a brief speech on the history of The Red Barn, mentioning the Manning Times article in his talk. He also offered a brief update on the museum. The current exhibit centers around WWII veterans from Clarendon County. Sorrell asked for those who might be interested in serving on a committee to create new museum exhibits to contact the Society. Guest speaker Carter Jones joined the Manning Fire Department as a volunteer in 1966, eventually holding the position of Clarendon County Fire Chief for 22 years, as well as Training Specialist and Deputy State Fire Marshal for the Office of State Fire Marshal. Jones, now a fire historian, has published A Legacy That Lives On, a book which chronicles the South Carolina fire service history, including stories from the past, growing leaders and guidance for the future. The State Fire Department is promoting the book. “From the time I was a little boy, all I wanted to do was fight fires as a firefighter,” said Jones. “My dream has come true. This May 10, I’ll have my 53rd active year with the fire service. I love it and wish I had 20 more years to give to it.” Jones was approached by the State Firefighters Association five years ago to come work for them as a Special Projects Coordinator, which included the duty of historian. As such, he assists South Carolina fire departments in gathering their history and recording it for the future. In 2018, Jones’ boss told him they wanted to put his research and writing in a book. That book was published on Christmas Eve, and Jones is now speaking to groups about the state’s fire history. “I’m a story teller, and I hope you’ll bear with me,” said Jones, who shared several stories from around the state, which can be read in his book. He researched early records, back to the mid-1800s, which chronicle the history of Clarendon County’s fire service. “In 1886, Dr. Ingram’s house caught fire here in Manning, and Mr. J.H. Lesane climbed the roof and managed the fire until the fire truck arrived on the scene,” said Jones. “The best story I found about Clarendon County goes back to 1908. The Fire Chief then was a mortician who ran a furniture store. His name was Krasnov. Mr. S.W. Baron was the assistant chief. They used two horses that pulled the garbage wagon during the day and pulled the fire engine if there were fires. “Krasnov got the idea to train with the horses. He hooked them up, and the horses came out on Keitt Street. As he made the turn, there was an old cow lying in the dirt road. He pulled the reins too hard and it flipped the engine over, killing one horse and injuring the other. Baron and Krasnov were both injured. “The Manning Times wrote an editorial blasting the firemen, stating none of them had any business driving the engine without proper training, and at breakneck speed, there was no excuse for putting the public in danger,” said Jones Jones shared further stories of the county and state, some dating back as far as the Civil War, stating stories of the past fascinate him. To read more of these stories, purchase the book at scfirefighters.org/book/. Sorrell closed the program after thanking Jones for his time and knowledge. The next meeting of the Society will be the third Thursday in March.