Everyone who's been to Camp Norse has seen this bell, but did you know that it actually came from Mansfield?
The 1,200-pound bell used to call firemen to action in the old firehouse on W. Church St. in Mansfield. When a new firehouse was built on North Main street, the bell was not moved. Instead, it was put into storage in 1930, when the old firehouse was demolished.
In 1945, after 15 years of storage, the Board of Selectman looked into donating the bell to Camp Norse. It wasn't until 1960 that the bell actually made it to camp. There, the bell was used for emergency calls and to call Scouts to chow at the camp.
The 1,200-pound bell used to call firemen to action in the old firehouse on W. Church St. in Mansfield. When a new firehouse was built on North Main street, the bell was not moved. Instead, it was put into storage in 1930, when the old firehouse was demolished.
In 1945, after 15 years of storage, the Board of Selectman looked into donating the bell to Camp Norse. It wasn't until 1960 that the bell actually made it to camp. There, the bell was used for emergency calls and to call Scouts to chow at the camp.
There's more to the bell's history. It almost disappeared forever...
Excerpt from the History of Annawon Council on the Annawon Council's website:
In 1960 the camp received a bronze bell, dated 1891. Howard Fowler, Editor of The Mansfield News and former Council President, was instrumental in procuring the bell from the Mansfield Fire Department. It came from an old firehouse on West Church St In Mansfield. There is a picture of that old fire house in the present firehouse recreation room. The bell was stolen from camp in the mid 60�s. The stolen bell was traced to a junk dealer by the name of Enos in Taunton. The junk dealer's cousin was on the USS Massachusetts Battleship committee with Chief Govain. He was nervous that he may get caught up
in the theft, so he told police about the junk dealer. The junk dealer had sold it to a salvage company in New Jersey. Police located the stolen bell just prior to it being melted down. The bell was finally brought back to camp. Used to signal chow, the bell was originally located down at the line cabins, close to the present Leo Yell nature building, so that Chief could walk up to it
and ring the bell. When the new dining hall was built the bell was relocated to it's present location.
In 1960 the camp received a bronze bell, dated 1891. Howard Fowler, Editor of The Mansfield News and former Council President, was instrumental in procuring the bell from the Mansfield Fire Department. It came from an old firehouse on West Church St In Mansfield. There is a picture of that old fire house in the present firehouse recreation room. The bell was stolen from camp in the mid 60�s. The stolen bell was traced to a junk dealer by the name of Enos in Taunton. The junk dealer's cousin was on the USS Massachusetts Battleship committee with Chief Govain. He was nervous that he may get caught up
in the theft, so he told police about the junk dealer. The junk dealer had sold it to a salvage company in New Jersey. Police located the stolen bell just prior to it being melted down. The bell was finally brought back to camp. Used to signal chow, the bell was originally located down at the line cabins, close to the present Leo Yell nature building, so that Chief could walk up to it
and ring the bell. When the new dining hall was built the bell was relocated to it's present location.
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