The Firemen's Memorial Fountain in Thrall Park was created largely through the efforts of Mr. J. B. Wheeler as a tribute to the community's volunteer firemen. The fountain featured a seven foot statue of a uniformed fireman holding a baby in his arm. Although a site in Phillipsburg Cemetery on the outskirts of the city was first chosen, a place in the park was selected so more people could see it. In March 1907, $800.00 was placed in the city tax budget for the memorial, but the appropriation was defeated, and Mr. Wheeler, then President of the Common Council, led a committee to raise the needed funds by public subscription. The money for the memorial, along with an additional $315.00 for installation, was quickly collected. The monument was unveiled on October 17, 1907, after a short parade by all companies of the department. Mr. Wheeler presented the statue to the city, Mayor Lawrence accepted it on the city's behalf, and the Rev. Mr. Stanard Dow Butler, chaplain of the Eagles, delivered the dedication address. On September 17, 1937, thirty years after the memorial was erected, the Common Council donated a plaque for the railing around the pool declaring the fountain a reminder of appreciation for the loyal and efficient service of these men for more than 100 years. The occasion was marked by a Middletown Fire Department parade, the first in six years, with two guest companies, the Dikemans of Goshen and the Florida N.Y. Departments, in line. At ceremonies in Thrall Park, Mayor Charles C. Chappell made the presentation on behalf of the Council, Fire Chief Francis O'Boyle accepted the gift for the Fire Department, and Mr. Wheeler briefly recounted the fountain's history. During the height of the World War II scrap metal drive, some sought to consign the memorial and the Civil War cannon in the park to that cause, but debate in the Common Council ended when Mr. Wheeler reminded the aldermen that neither belonged to the city and said the Iron Fireman, though actually zinc, was the property in perpetuity of the Volunteer Firemen's Association. A newspaper account of the dedication had said that Mr. Wheeler presented the fountain to the city, while the Commissioner of Public Works said the city has jurisdiction over any memorial placed on public land. In August 2001, the Fire Department received permission to remove the memorial from Thrall Park for repair because of age and vandalism. On September 6, 2002, it was rededicated and placed at Wallace Park at the corner of North Street and Depot Street, where it stands today.