History and Tradition: The History of the Fire Service, and the Quincy Fire Department

The History of the Fire Service, and the Quincy Fire Department

Mid 1800s: Fire Department in the Town of Quincy Established. First Ladder Company and Hose Companies

1845
Dr. William F. Channing of Boston invents the fire-alarm telegraph

Granite Hook and Ladder Co No1 established in Quincy at the Railway Village near the West Quincy district.

1846
July 13, a conflagration on the island of Nantucket destroyed 300 buildings and ended the town's whaling supremacy.

1848

August 17. Fire at Albany, N. Y., destroys 600 buildings.

Quincy buys a new engine for the Niagara Engine company

1850
A conflagration in Philadelphia destroys 400 buildings in and kills thirty-nine people.

1852

First fire-alarm telegraph central office and street box system inaugurated at Boston.
Patent issued for first sprinkler-perforated pipe system. This was the first recognized installation of fire protection equipment.

Nantucket conflagration

1853
Latta Brothers steam fire engine, "Uncle Joe Ross," revolutionizes firefighting.

Cincinnati becomes the first American city to replace volunteers with the horse-drawn steam fire engine, and to form a paid fire department.

On April 8th, “A fire department is hereby established in the Town of Quincy.”

George H French, first Chief Engineer of the Quincy Fire Department. He received $15 per year

Assistant Engineers made $10 per year, Firemen made $2 (a 75 cent raise)

1854

Vulture Engine Co moved to Washington St across from Washington Ct, where our Engine 3 now stands.

Columbia Engine Co renamed Native America No5 and moved to Snug Harbor. It was later destroyed by fire in 1903

1856
Fireman's Aid Hook and Ladder Co #1 replaced Granite H&L No1. Their motto was “we race to the rescue, we race to save.” It cost $301.95 fully equipped

Sept 23 Fireman's Aid H&L #1 has its first house fire.

1857

Niagara Engine Co hand tub put in service on the corner of Washington St and Sea St (now Coddington St) near Quincy Square.

First use of linen and cotton hose line in Quincy

New fire house built on Canal St (which is now McGrath Hwy)

1858

Vulture Engine Co makes a 5 mile run to Hingham for mutual aid. They made the run in 55 minutes (That’s 5 eleven minute miles pulling an engine!)

1861
Washington, DC fire department becomes a fully paid organization and installs a fire alarm telegraph.
Fort Sumter is attacked and the Civil War begins.
New York City firefighters organize the first Fire Zouaves regiments and leave for the battlefront.

1863
Battle of Gettysburg.
New York City becomes paid fire department.

Adjustable fog nozzles placed in service.

1869

Quincy adds Washington M. French Hose Co No1

to the fire house on Canal St with Fireman's Aid H&L No1. It carried 500’ of hose. (This is the first Engine 1/ Ladder 1 combination in Quincy)

The total pieces is now 6

1871

Fireman's Aid H&L Co No1 and Washington Hose Co No1 Moved to new fire house on Canal St (a different one)

The Great Chicago Fire was on October 8th. 300 people were killed and 90,000 left homeless.

Later that night on October 8, 1200 lives are lost at a fire in the forests of Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, completely destroying the Town of Peshtigo, WI. This is the largest loss of life as a result of fire in the history of the United States.

2nd Fire Zouaves Regiment

Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (Panoramic view)

Great fire of Boston

1872
November 9. Great Fire of Boston..
Great Fire of Boston destroyed 776 buildings and one square mile of the business district.
Alarm sounded in Quincy for the fire at about 9:00-10:00

More than seventy insurance companies went bankrupt as a result of the Great Fire of Boston. The companies that survived formed the National Board of Underwriters and established safeguards for insurance companies to follow.

1873
Quick-hitch collar and harness invented by Charles Berry a fireman in Cambridge, MA.

1875
Locks changed on fire alarm boxes to reduce false alarms. Keys for the boxes (which were in the shape of a "J") were given to the corner store keeper. In the event of a fire, people would bang on the store owners door yelling "give me the Jay-Key". This is believed to be the origin for the firemen's nickname "Jakes".