In June 1882, the town council in the Tama County town of Gladbrook began discussing digging a well and constructing a water tower for use for municipal water supply and fire protection. After a six-plus month hiatus, the issue was brought to an election, with voters overwhelmingly approving. In 1916, the town bought a Ford car and equipped it with chemical to fight fires. Construction began on the current fire station in the fall of 1962, with work completed by June 1963. The station was built entirely by donated labor at a cost of $12,000.