Village of Watertown trustees passed a resolution on May 28, 1817, proposed in part by Orville Hungerford, to form a fire company. What became known as the Cataract Fire Company then paid $400 for a fire engine, half of which the Village covered with the other half contributed by businesses and professionals. Orville was actively involved in his community, making a point to give back and help those less fortunate. One of the big problems then and now was poverty. As a result, Jefferson County established a poor house system paid for by appropriations from each town. In 1826, Hungerford was appointed as one of the first superintendents of the poor house located on the 150-acre Dudley Farm in Le Ray, New York. People sent to the poor house would have a place to live and would be provided with food and rudimentary medical care in exchange for some work, usually tied in with farming, e.g., picking oakum. His concerns also focused on local infrastructure, benefitting the entire community. For example, Orville played a key role in incorporating the Watertown Water Company in 1826 to supply fresh water "by means of aqueducts" to the village of Watertown. In 1849, Hungerford once again took a leading role to help raise $50,000 in capital stock on behalf of the Watertwon Waterworks Company to supply the "village of Watertown with pure and wholesome water." According to a contemporary historical source, neither of these ventures produced water. Not all of Orville's aid was limited to Jefferson County, New York. During the Greek War of Independence from 1821 to 1830 the Ottoman government massacred Greek civilians. The English poet Lord Byron joined in the quest to liberate Greece from Ottoman rule with tragic results. In the United States, the Executive Greek Committee of New York formed to provide relief to Greek civilians affected by the conflict. The citizens of Jefferson County met in Watertown, New York on December 19, 1827 "for the purpose of devising means and raising funds for the relief of the oppressed and suffering Greeks." As a result, the meeting attendees formed a committee, appointing Vincent Le Ray de Chaumont as its chairman and Orville Hungerford as its secretary. In 1827, Orville is credited with raising $135.55 on behalf of the Executive Greek Committee of New-York, which helped fund the cost of shipping supplies to the distressed Greek inhabitants. Orville Hungerford had