| Collection |
Edwin B. Worthen Collection |
| Date of photo |
1892 |
| Description |
East Lexington firemen and equipment, 1892.
"East Lexington Fire Department - about 1892. The matter of fire protection was one to interest our first settlers and we find that thatched roofs were early prohibited. Then we find a local ordinance that each householder shall keep his chimneys clean and have on the premises a ladder long enough to reach to the roof of his house. Then, a more cooperative movement came in with the first hand-tubs and each householder was required to have two leather fire-buckets and a large heavy cloth bag. These were marked with the owners name. If there was a fire and the man of the house away - the women threw the buckets into the street so that the first passer-by might carry them along to the fire.
Lexington's first venture in fire appartus was in 1829 - two hand-tubs. The one at East Lexington was kept in a building in the school yard at the corner of Pleasant Street and Massachusetts Avenue. The tubs were sold in 1857 and two "modern" ones purchased. In 1887 the "Hancock" here in the centre was sold to the Town of Groveland, Massachusetts and later sold by them for junk. The East Lexington tub, the "Adams" was sold to the Town of Brownville, Maine. The Historical Society secured its return to Lexington and it is now at the East Lexington fire station. When the tubs were sold in 1887 the Town replaced them with two chemical "engines." These in turn were replace in 1895 by horse drawn apparatus.
East Lexington had one of these chemical "engines" as you see, and a small hook and ladder. The chenical was to be drawn by hand but usually was hitched to the back of some neighbor's cart. Notice that the building has not been raised to accommodate horse drawn apparatus. All members of the department, some 30, were all "call men." Does anyone know what became of the beautiful silk banner? The men shown are, left to right: Frank Morey, Al Morey, Charles Blanchard, Chief William B. Foster and Jerry Donovan."
|
| Object ID |
Worthen.slide92 |
| Object Name |
Transparency, Lantern-slide |
| People |
Blanchard, Charles
Donovan, Jerry
Foster, William B.
Morey, Al
Morey, Frank |
| Search Terms |
Adams fire tub
American LaFrance hose wagon
Brownville ME
Hancock fire tub
Fire Department, East Lexington
East Lexington |
| Subjects |
Call men
Engine houses
Fire engines & equipment
Fire fighters
Fire fighting equipment
Fire fighting history
Fire protection
Fire stations
Town affairs |
| Title |
East Lexington Fire Department, 1892 |
|
