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There is no nearby parking on Main St. but you can park on Church St. or if you park behind the station near the flag pole you will have no problem. There is a sign saying, "Fire Department parking only." This is mainly for people parking for parades and athletic events at the high school. If anyone says anything, just tell them you are hunting, "Gogan’s treasure," and you should not have a problem. I retired from this Dept. with 33½ years service in 2001.
Dixie, Hendersonville Fire Department's mascot of 14 years, was killed when she missed the fire engine and chased the truck out onto King Street. She was struck by an ice truck and killed back in the 30’s. She was buried behind the old City Hall on King Street, where she remained until the fire department moved to its present location in 2000.
Dixie was moved to her present location on the back of a fire engine. A horse-drawn carriage followed with a Dixieland Band playing Dixie. The original headstone was broken the day before it was moved and repaired by the on-duty firemen using epoxy glue from Wal-Mart. How it was broken is quite a story, and if you see any firemen at the station, I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you.
The cache container is a small pill bottle with a home made log inside. There is no pen or pencil in the cache, so be sure to bring your own to sign the log. The cache is well hidden and may require a little maintenance to keep it hidden from view. You will NOT have to disturb Dixie to find the cache.
Update - March 24, 2007: We disabled the cache today because a new monument honoring all deceased Henderson County emergency service personel will be erected on the premises. Earth moving equipment has begun tearing up the area. We will leave the cache disabled until the new monument is in place and dedicated.
Update: June 30, 2007. All groundwork for the new monument has been completed, and the silt fence has been removed. The grass has not fully recovered, and the new monument has not yet arrived. Dixie will also be getting a new headstone marker. Dixie's old, broken headstone and the geocache have been moved to the base of the flagpole and are still available from there. I will leave the cache disabled until the new monument and Dixie's new headstone are in place. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Final update: The new monument is in place and has been dedicated. Dixie also has a brand new headstone, and today, September 24, 2007, we replaced the cache in a brand new container, back where it was originally hidden. It is once again, ready to be found, so stop by and say, "Hi" to Dixie.
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