Volume 014-1 - April 1960 (4 pages)

NEVADA CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT 1860 — By SVEN SKAAR (President of the Nevada County Historical Society in 1958) and condensed by him fron his ‘'Trail” eclumns appearing in the Daily Union of Grass Valley and Nevada City. The Nevada City Volunteer Fire Department is 100 years old. That may not seem a tong ie as you read it, but translate the years into days and nights and you'll have 36,600 em. At every moment of those days and nights, our volunteer fire fighters have stood ready to serve should the alarm bell in the old fire house call them. The volunteers’ courage and devotion. to the community has never failed. It is the same today as when they first organized in June 1860. : Through a century, the Department has gained such knowledge of a fire’s vagaries and moods, and has perfected methods of fire fighting, that today the insurance rate in Nevada City compares favorably with that enjoyed by metropolitan cities employing salaried fire fighters. Yes, indeed our volunteers have achieved a record to be proud of. During the earliest period, let us call it the unorganized period from 1849 to ‘60, fires were the least of a miner's worry. The clothes he owned were on his back, his tools at his claim and his gold dust well buried. It cost him only a few hours labor to rebuild a new shelter should it be necessary. But gradually as the camp grew, and shack shouldered shack along busy streets, threat of fire became a worry; not because of the value of the jerry built shacks but for fear of losing the merchandise stored in them — the grub and the tools that were to tide the population over a Icng, cold winter. But it would take more than worry to organize against fire; many people had to be hurt before that happened — and hurt many times. THE FIRST CATASTROPHY A mentally ill misfit, or perhaps a sorehead nursing a grudge against the world, set Nevada City afire on March 11, 1851 at two in the morning. He chose a salcon at Main and Commercial streets, the heart of town at that time, to start it in. At sunrise, only smoldering embers glowed where the town had stcod the previous evening. The merchandise stored in anticipation of a promising winter was lost — half a million dollars worth, along with 125 buildings. The wet spring having turned the roads from Sacramento and Marysville into ox-killing quagmires, the cost cf hauling new goods would be a costly affair. Was there enough gold left in the streams and hills to warrant the cost of rebuilding and restocking? The people thought so, and for a few days they discussed means of preventing another fire, even of building more substantially than before; but in the end, up went the inexpensive clapboard buildings, and more of them than ever before. It was like an invitation for another burn-out. THE SECOND And it came roaring on September 7, 1852, at three in the morning. This time it started on the other side of Deer Creek in the important section of town clustered about the Plaza. Once more the merchants were hard hit, and again they began to talk about fire protection; and something was actually done about it; little enough, but it was a beginning. They organized a fire patrol among themselves. Furthermore, Gold Run was tapped high on the other side of Deer Creek, and a water pipe laid across it to the highest point possible on Broad street where a small standpipe was installed at the corner of Pine. Hamlet Davis who was developing that part of town, promoted the project. He had erected a two-story frame house opposite the stand-pipe. On the ground floor was his market and express office; on the second, Nevada City’s first theater, the Dramatic Hall, used between performances as a public reading room. The Main street merchants also busied themselves. A small pump was installed at the foct of Main Street, drawing water from Deer Creek, and a pipeline was run from the pump almost the length of the street. Skimpy as they were these efforts brought results. A miner, smoking his pipe in bed, set a Main street boarding house afire in 1854. No sooner had the night patrol given the alarm, than the tiny pump was manned. Nine houses burned before the fire was slopped, but the town was saved. A few months later, on February 20, 1855, the standpipe at Broad and —2— PAST CHIEFS OF THE DEPARTMENT 1860-1861, William Barton 1911-1912, Will L. Carter * 1861-1862, Frank Fischer 1912-1918, D. A. Dailey (862-1863, W. Harrington 1913-1914, James Penrose (863-1864, Hank Knerr 1914-1915, Charles E. Tegler 1864-1865, W. H. Davidson 1915-1916, Fred E. Breese (865-1866, G. Von Schittburg 1916-1917, Frank Naake 1866-1867, " " ” 1917-1918, Wm. F. Sharp 1867-1868, " " ” 1918-1919, J. L. Huy 1868-1869, " "” ” 1919-1920, George Walling 1869-1870, Thomas Canfield 1920-1921, Richard Phillips 1870-1871, Wm. R. Coe 1921-1922, Elza J. Kilroy * 1871-1872, C. W. Cornell 1922-1923, Rebert E. Carr, Sr. * 1872-1873, John F. Hook 1923-1924, Ray J. Wilde® 1873-1874, W. C. Groves 1924-1925, C. Ray Murchie * 1874-1875, Joseph Olive 1925-1926, George Sandow * 1875-1876, Wm. Scott 1926-1927, Miles D. Coughlin * 1876-1877, H. S. Lord 1927-1828, "” " " * 1877-1878, Frank Eilerman 1928-1829, " -" " # 1878-1879, C. J. Naffziger 1929-1930, Forest Penrose 1879-1880, Louis Seibert 1930-1931, Otis A. Hardt 1880-1881, C. J. Brand 1931-1932, Richard R. Goyne 1881-1882, John Bacigalupi 1932-1933, Byron Landrigan * 1882-1883, Jerome Cook 1933-1934, Louis Kopp * 1883-1884, John Hurst 1934-1985, Emil J. N. Ott 1884-1885, L. M. Sukeforth 1935-1936, Howard Penrose * 1885-1886, Frank Eilerman 1936-1937, Tony Rore 1886-1887, John F. Hook 1937-1938, E. Lloyd Dudley * 1887-1888, J. J. Jackson 1938-19389, W. Stenger Williamson * 1888-1889, Wm. T. Shurtleff 1939-1940, Herbert S. Hallett * 1889-1880, J. E. Isaac 1940-1941, Luther Marsh * 1880-1891, E. A. Tompkins 1941-1942, Carl T. Larsen * 1891-1892, Fred Eilerman 1942-1943, Carl Steger * 1892-1893, John F. Hook 1943-1944, Garfield Robson 1893-1894, G. J. Schmidt 1944-1945, Vernon Sandow * 1894-1895, Sherman W. Marsh 1945-1946, Albert S. Bates * 1895-1896, Robert Snell 1946-1947, Cameron Larsen ° 1896-1897, J. J. Hanley 1947-1948, Ernest O. Young * 1897-1898, Richard A. Eddy 1948-1949, Robert T. Graham * 1898-1899, John F. Hook 1949-1950, Ted W. Sigourney * 1899-1900, P. G. Scadden * 1950-1951, John M. Graham * 1900-1901, A. B. Wolf 1951-1952, William M. Hallett * 1901-1902, E. W. Schmidt 1952-1953, Edward A. Frantz * 1902-1908, Geo. A. Legg 1958-1954, Ralph Pierce * 1903-1904, Albert K. Snell 1954-1955, Robert E. Carr, Jr. * 1904-1905, Frank M. Grissel * 1955-1956, Paul Falconi * 1905-1906, Herman W. Brand 1906-1907, Dr. C. W. Chapman 1907-1908, James H. Hutchison 1908-1909, George H. Calanan 1909-1910, Ed J. Baker 1910-1911, Simon C. Hieronimus * 1956-57, Alton Davies * 1957-1958, Carl Baker * 1958-1959, Craig Davies * 1959-1960, Norman M. Kopp * Note: * denotes Living Past Chiefs ... 35 Total Past Chiefs . 92 Dated March 28, 1960 First Motor Driven Fire Truck — 1913 — Seagrave — Solid Tire. Second Motor Driven Fire Truck — 1917 — Brockway — Solid Tire. Next — 1931 — 1935 — 1951 — 1953. First Rescue Car — 1954. Second Rescue Car — 1958. First Inhalator — 1937. Rescue Squad organized — 1944. First Resuscitator-Inhalator-Aspirator 1944. Second Resuscitator-Inhalator Aspirator 1955. PRESENT DAY EQUIPMENT GMC Triple Combinator Pumper 1,000 gal. per minute. FWD Triple Combination Pumper 750 gal. per minute. Ford F5 Ambulance Equipped Rescue Car (fully equipped with oxygen). Jeep Chief's Car. _

NEVADA CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT 1860 — By SVEN SKAAR (President of the Nevada County Historical Society in 1958) and condensed by him fron his ‘'Trail” eclumns appearing in the Daily Union of Grass Valley and Nevada City. The Nevada City Volunteer Fire Department is 100 years old. That may not seem a tong ie as you read it, but translate the years into days and nights and you'll have 36,600 em. At every moment of those days and nights, our volunteer fire fighters have stood ready to serve should the alarm bell in the old fire house call them. The volunteers’ courage and devotion. to the community has never failed. It is the same today as when they first organized in June 1860. : Through a century, the Department has gained such knowledge of a fire’s vagaries and moods, and has perfected methods of fire fighting, that today the insurance rate in Nevada City compares favorably with that enjoyed by metropolitan cities employing salaried fire fighters. Yes, indeed our volunteers have achieved a record to be proud of. During the earliest period, let us call it the unorganized period from 1849 to ‘60, fires were the least of a miner's worry. The clothes he owned were on his back, his tools at his claim and his gold dust well buried. It cost him only a few hours labor to rebuild a new shelter should it be necessary. But gradually as the camp grew, and shack shouldered shack along busy streets, threat of fire became a worry; not because of the value of the jerry built shacks but for fear of losing the merchandise stored in them — the grub and the tools that were to tide the population over a Icng, cold winter. But it would take more than worry to organize against fire; many people had to be hurt before that happened — and hurt many times. THE FIRST CATASTROPHY A mentally ill misfit, or perhaps a sorehead nursing a grudge against the world, set Nevada City afire on March 11, 1851 at two in the morning. He chose a salcon at Main and Commercial streets, the heart of town at that time, to start it in. At sunrise, only smoldering embers glowed where the town had stcod the previous evening. The merchandise stored in anticipation of a promising winter was lost — half a million dollars worth, along with 125 buildings. The wet spring having turned the roads from Sacramento and Marysville into ox-killing quagmires, the cost cf hauling new goods would be a costly affair. Was there enough gold left in the streams and hills to warrant the cost of rebuilding and restocking? The people thought so, and for a few days they discussed means of preventing another fire, even of building more substantially than before; but in the end, up went the inexpensive clapboard buildings, and more of them than ever before. It was like an invitation for another burn-out. THE SECOND And it came roaring on September 7, 1852, at three in the morning. This time it started on the other side of Deer Creek in the important section of town clustered about the Plaza. Once more the merchants were hard hit, and again they began to talk about fire protection; and something was actually done about it; little enough, but it was a beginning. They organized a fire patrol among themselves. Furthermore, Gold Run was tapped high on the other side of Deer Creek, and a water pipe laid across it to the highest point possible on Broad street where a small standpipe was installed at the corner of Pine. Hamlet Davis who was developing that part of town, promoted the project. He had erected a two-story frame house opposite the stand-pipe. On the ground floor was his market and express office; on the second, Nevada City’s first theater, the Dramatic Hall, used between performances as a public reading room. The Main street merchants also busied themselves. A small pump was installed at the foct of Main Street, drawing water from Deer Creek, and a pipeline was run from the pump almost the length of the street. Skimpy as they were these efforts brought results. A miner, smoking his pipe in bed, set a Main street boarding house afire in 1854. No sooner had the night patrol given the alarm, than the tiny pump was manned. Nine houses burned before the fire was slopped, but the town was saved. A few months later, on February 20, 1855, the standpipe at Broad and —2— PAST CHIEFS OF THE DEPARTMENT 1860-1861, William Barton 1911-1912, Will L. Carter * 1861-1862, Frank Fischer 1912-1918, D. A. Dailey (862-1863, W. Harrington 1913-1914, James Penrose (863-1864, Hank Knerr 1914-1915, Charles E. Tegler 1864-1865, W. H. Davidson 1915-1916, Fred E. Breese (865-1866, G. Von Schittburg 1916-1917, Frank Naake 1866-1867, " " ” 1917-1918, Wm. F. Sharp 1867-1868, " " ” 1918-1919, J. L. Huy

1868-1869, " "” ” 1919-1920, George Walling 1869-1870, Thomas Canfield 1920-1921, Richard Phillips 1870-1871, Wm. R. Coe 1921-1922, Elza J. Kilroy * 1871-1872, C. W. Cornell 1922-1923, Rebert E. Carr, Sr. * 1872-1873, John F. Hook 1923-1924, Ray J. Wilde® 1873-1874, W. C. Groves 1924-1925, C. Ray Murchie * 1874-1875, Joseph Olive 1925-1926, George Sandow * 1875-1876, Wm. Scott 1926-1927, Miles D. Coughlin * 1876-1877, H. S. Lord 1927-1828, "” " " * 1877-1878, Frank Eilerman 1928-1829, " -" " # 1878-1879, C. J. Naffziger 1929-1930, Forest Penrose 1879-1880, Louis Seibert 1930-1931, Otis A. Hardt 1880-1881, C. J. Brand 1931-1932, Richard R. Goyne 1881-1882, John Bacigalupi 1932-1933, Byron Landrigan * 1882-1883, Jerome Cook 1933-1934, Louis Kopp * 1883-1884, John Hurst 1934-1985, Emil J. N. Ott 1884-1885, L. M. Sukeforth 1935-1936, Howard Penrose * 1885-1886, Frank Eilerman 1936-1937, Tony Rore 1886-1887, John F. Hook 1937-1938, E. Lloyd Dudley * 1887-1888, J. J. Jackson 1938-19389, W. Stenger Williamson * 1888-1889, Wm. T. Shurtleff 1939-1940, Herbert S. Hallett * 1889-1880, J. E. Isaac 1940-1941, Luther Marsh * 1880-1891, E. A. Tompkins 1941-1942, Carl T. Larsen * 1891-1892, Fred Eilerman 1942-1943, Carl Steger * 1892-1893, John F. Hook 1943-1944, Garfield Robson 1893-1894, G. J. Schmidt 1944-1945, Vernon Sandow * 1894-1895, Sherman W. Marsh 1945-1946, Albert S. Bates * 1895-1896, Robert Snell 1946-1947, Cameron Larsen ° 1896-1897, J. J. Hanley 1947-1948, Ernest O. Young * 1897-1898, Richard A. Eddy 1948-1949, Robert T. Graham * 1898-1899, John F. Hook 1949-1950, Ted W. Sigourney * 1899-1900, P. G. Scadden * 1950-1951, John M. Graham * 1900-1901, A. B. Wolf 1951-1952, William M. Hallett * 1901-1902, E. W. Schmidt 1952-1953, Edward A. Frantz * 1902-1908, Geo. A. Legg 1958-1954, Ralph Pierce * 1903-1904, Albert K. Snell 1954-1955, Robert E. Carr, Jr. * 1904-1905, Frank M. Grissel * 1955-1956, Paul Falconi * 1905-1906, Herman W. Brand 1906-1907, Dr. C. W. Chapman 1907-1908, James H. Hutchison 1908-1909, George H. Calanan 1909-1910, Ed J. Baker 1910-1911, Simon C. Hieronimus * 1956-57, Alton Davies * 1957-1958, Carl Baker * 1958-1959, Craig Davies * 1959-1960, Norman M. Kopp * Note: * denotes Living Past Chiefs ...... 35 Total Past Chiefs .. 92 Dated March 28, 1960 First Motor Driven Fire Truck — 1913 — Seagrave — Solid Tire. Second Motor Driven Fire Truck — 1917 — Brockway — Solid Tire. Next — 1931 — 1935 — 1951 — 1953. First Rescue Car — 1954. Second Rescue Car — 1958. First Inhalator — 1937. Rescue Squad organized — 1944. First Resuscitator-Inhalator-Aspirator 1944. Second Resuscitator-Inhalator Aspirator 1955. PRESENT DAY EQUIPMENT GMC Triple Combinator Pumper 1,000 gal. per minute. FWD Triple Combination Pumper 750 gal. per minute. Ford F5 Ambulance Equipped Rescue Car (fully equipped with oxygen). Jeep Chief's Car. _