Brian Lawrence Livres

When Buncombe County was formed in 1792, firefighting efforts were left up to individual landowners and helpful neighbors using buckets and a nearby well or body of water. Not until 1882 was an organized, community-sponsored fire department established; this was the Asheville Fire Department. Other fire departments followed, and no two were the same. Stations appeared in the towns of Weaverville and Black Mountain, while others sprang up in the residential communities of Kenilworth, Biltmore Forest, and George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Village. In September 1953, county commissioners formally passed a resolution for county aid and supervision for rural volunteer fire departments. Through photographs that illustrate firefighting in many of its forms--rescue squads, wildland firefighting units, ladies auxiliaries, and ambulance services--Firefighting in Buncombe County showcases and honors the firefighters of this mountainous area who have always worked to keep their communities safe.

The cup was presented to the Wagga Wagga CA on the October 20, 1925, by Mr. Thomas Joseph "Tom" O'Farrell, who was a tailor with a business in Wagga Wagga. Its purpose was to raise the standard of country cricket and help arouse the interest and enthusiasm of both players and public in the game. By the original rules, which were drawn up by Mr. O'Farrell, Mr. M. Cusick, and Mr. G. Pinkstone, the cup was won outright by Wagga, who wisely redonated it, and it was put into play in the 1930-31 season as a perpetual challenge trophy for teams within one hundred miles radius of Wagga Wagga. O'Farrell was a frequent spectator at games and often handed over the cup to the winning captain. He was later to say, "I am particularly glad that the competition is doing so much to let the residents of surrounding towns learn more of each other in so friendly a way."