Collection: Books and Periodicals > Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins

About This Item:

Title: Volume 076-3 - July 2022 Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Collection Name: Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins # of Pages: 8 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2023-12-30 11:47:20 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 04:06:34 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:06:34

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 8  

NCHS Bulletin July 2022 firemen “had to become horse-traders, careful businessmen, astute diplomats, excellent organizers and expert fire fighters all at the same time.”? Women of Nevada City continually supported the volunteers with moral and financial support and public service. A woman named Elizabeth Houston, grateful to the firemen for saving her house at Blue Tent, made a donation that started the Houston Fund to which many civic-minded citizens contributed over the years help the firefighters buy equipment. The reminiscences of James H. Hutchinson (1869-1958) are an important source about Nevada City’s historic volunteer fire fighters. A mechanic by trade, he served as volunteer for 72 years, starting at age 12 with one of Nevada City’s Juvenile fire companies. The quoted passages that follow are taken from Hutchinson’s three-page article, “Personal History of Our Fire Department,” Nevada City Nugget (November 2, 1951) and his typescript manuscript “Ins and Outs — Ups and Downs of Nevada City Fire Department 1880 to 1949” [ca 1961], both at the Searls Historical Library. Along with recollections of specific fires, Hutchinson’s reminiscences hold rich insights into the qualities and actions that made Nevada City’s volunteer fire department so successful. The firefighters contributed to the public life of the community through community leadership, the self-financing of firefighting innovations, the training of boys and men, and the joyful fellowship with the citizens they served. Hutchinson’s passages are in italics or quotes. Editorial comments are not italicized.* Hutchinson Remembers They continued to use these carts for over forty years. they were heavy and awkward to handle > Morning Union, March 19, 1960. 4 Other sources consulted include the multiple folders on fires and firefighters at the Searls library, specifically the John Dowell Collection and Sven Skarr’s newspaper columns in the Union, 1958-1960. 2 when loaded with equipment. No paved roads those days, [up to 4 inches to a foot of dust}... mud, snow and ice. The members were thoroughly exhausted when they reached the fire. ... [There was o]nly one paved street known as lower Grass Valley Road. ... Broad Street was paved ...with 3” X 12” planking.... An engine company could have 50 members—a hose company could have 25 members... Step by step this department has advanced, two wheel carts to four wheel wagons, hand drawn, then to horse drawn, with drop harness. Conlan Hotel Fire (date unknown)> Some of the early day fires are worth while relating briefly....Though out the year of 1870 and into the 80's Nevada City had some very close calls on serious and big fires. The Conlin [sic] Hotel and Rooming House located [on...] Broad Street burned, it was a bitter cold night, sub zero weather, street[s] were covered with ice, making foot work dangerous; the fire was a hot one while it lasted, but the Firemen kept it confined to the one building....Firemen ['s] turn out suits froze on them as soon as the water hit them; thus hindering them in their hazardous work. The cotton jacket fire hose was frozen stiff that after the fire was over it took seven days to thaw out before it could be placed on the hose carts. Chinatown Fire, June 1880 The Chinese wooden homes and businesses were located on Commercial Street in the center of Nevada City. This was the worst fire in 17 years. The Chinatown fire was a bad one-it occurred on a hot summer afternoon when everything was dry as gun powder Those “Fire Boys” fought on narrow Commercial Street with a raging fire in front and even a hotter one at ° Hutchison spells this “Conlin” but it is likely the City Hotel run by a Ms. Conlan at the turn of the century.