The Wall of Honor – A Bit of History
For a number of years, members of the Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department wanted to come up with some way of honoring all of the men who had come before them -- back to the beginning -- and so the Wall of Honor was created.
Battalion Chief John Paull utilized department records to compile a list of all of the members of the Fire Department since its formation. Captain Chuck Janhunen (who is also a skilled carpenter) built the oak base for the names, and the granite plaque was made and donated by Butte Granite Works owner/operator Bernie Brophy. Buffalo Gallery was tasked with making the individual brass name plates; and then, Chuck, with the help of several other department members, laid out the names and fastened them to the wall.
The Wall of Honor is a living memorial with room to add members for generations to come. Each time a new member of the department successfully completes their probationary period, their name is then added to the “Wall” along with their departmental anniversary date.
The first name and date on the “Wall” is J.H. McCarthy, 4/15/1883. There are currently 464 names on the “Wall.” The “Wall” is decorated with some antique fire ladders, lanterns, and fire call boxes. The slideshow above offers images of the "Wall", and the images below show the full roster of names.
