SIDNEY — Twenty-five chiefs have served the Sidney Fire Department during its storied history. Two of them, including current Chief Brad Jones, have had the same last name.
Chief Brad Jones, who has served the department since the retirement of Chief Stan Crosley, was unaware that from 1898 until 1900, another Chief Jones served the department. Chief H.C. Jones held the chief’s position just two years.
Before the adoption of the City Charter, the fire chief’s appointment was a political one. As a result, the individual holding the position changed whenever a new mayor was elected.
Mayor Mike Barhorst recently purchased Chief H.C. Jones’s badge from a collector in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That collector had purchased the badge in Springfield, Ohio, some years ago.
“I’ve collected Sidney items for a number of years,” Barhorst said, “and I’m certainly not unique. There are several residents who are avid collectors. Much of what I have consists of photographs and documents simply collected for research purposes. I do have a few items like Chief Jones’s badge that are just fun to own.
Barhorst has been working on an encyclopedia of Sidney history that he hopes to have completed in time for Sidney’s Bicentennial. The City will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2020.
