Charles F. North served Beloit as City Marshall for 17 years, 1869 to 1886, in effect Beloit’s one-man, unarmed police department. He also served as a Deputy Sheriff and as a volunteer fireman. Mr. North had built up an awesome reputation as City Marshall and was known as not being afraid of anything that walked on two legs. “Toughs” walked wide of him, boys worshipped his every move and yet “kind and gentle to ladies and dogs,” the description given to him from one of Beloit’s old timers.

On his death, the Beloit Free Press wrote: “Long association with the turbulent and unruly had its outward effect upon him, which was displayed in him by a blunt frankness of speech and a peculiarity of phraseology which was unique, but beneath and below all of this was a heart as susceptible to kindness and as keenly alive to and sympathetic with the troubles of others as ever beat in a human breast.”

Prior to 1886 the fire equipment of the volunteer department consisted of hand pumpers, pulled through the streets by the volunteers to the site of a fire. The city purchased a new hook and ladder truck at a cost of $400 to be drawn by horses and enlarged No. 1 Station House on 4^th Street with stables. It was determined that a full time Fire Chief should be hired to run the volunteer department and that full time firemen be available to man the new equipment and care for the horses. The City Council selected Charles F. North as Beloit’s first Fire Chief, receiving an annual salary of $100.

His new department was to consist of one full time assistant, paid $75 annually and three “station men” and two “call men,” each paid $50 annually; volunteers would continue to serve their community as they did before, manning the two fire stations serving Beloit. During his tenure as Fire Chief, Mr. North supervised the installation of the Gamewell Fire Alarms Telegraph System and the installation of a fire alarm bell at the High School connected to No. 1 Station.

Alarm boxes were installed in 29 locations throughout the City of Beloit. Prior to this when a fire was seen, citizens had been forced to run to the closest fire station to report the fire; a bell was rung calling for the assembly of the volunteers and many times the fire grew out of control before the fire department could arrive on the site. With the new alarm system citizens were instructed to go to the nearest box, break the glass, unlock the box with the key hanging inside and pull the hook found in the box. The alarm was a series of rings, indicating the ward and place it was located, so that the closest station (if not both) could respond.

The fire equipment was quickly taken to the fire site by the full- time firemen of the Department and met by the volunteers at the site of the fire. Beloit’s fire department would continue to have its equipment horse-drawn until 1914. Chief North’s health forced his retirement in 1892 and he died on April 6, 1893, at the age of 51. The extensive newspaper report of his death showed the respect shown for him in Beloit and read in part: “In the passing away of this strong, brave spirit, this man cast in a rough but heroic mold, Beloit has lost one who, in spending his life in its service, conferred great and lasting benefits upon the community he served and won for himself the noblest of epitaphs – Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”