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14 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, January 31,1990 James Williams Lucille Williamson Brian D. Bastianelli ire i ers a or Services The following excerpts on the history of- firefighting in Bowmanville are taken, in part, from a 1975 edition of The Bowmanville Statesman. In the late 1800's, the Bowmanville Fire Department Department was known as the "Canada No. 1 Fire Company." Company." This name was later changed to the Alert Hose Company. It would appear as though the name change occurred 1884, as the records contain a roll call list of the .. members under under both names for that year. Salary: $10 Records show that each member of the company was then granted an annual re muneration of $10 for their services in answering alarms. However, from the $10, each member was required required to pay a tariff, (or what we would now call a deposit) amounting to $1 for their rubber fire coat and $2 for the cap and belt. The records of the late 1800's unfortunately do not enlighten-us on the causes, • locations or damage in fires of that particular period, but we do find that the then Chief Engineer was Thos. Hoar. Mechanical Engineer was George Haines. Other members filling the company's ranks in those early days and on into this centuiy were such as N.S. Young, Wm. McKay, N.R. Climie, John Lyle, P.B. Martyn, John Percy, Wm. Cann, T. Percy, M. Hern, C. Stonehouse, Wm. Trewin, John Reid, John Sinclair, George Downey, G.D. Fletcher, H. Baskerville, George Peckham, Fred Hoar, R. Dumas, A. Mitchell, Mitchell, Wilson Neads, Wm. Roe- nigk, F. Smith, T. Goard, F. Manning, H. Creeper, W. Walker, N. Taylor, and so on. Admittedly, some of the names may have been omitted omitted from the preceding list, partially due to the condition condition of the old record book together with the difficulty in translating the old style of writing of the day. Bickering over petty matters, matters, occasionally found in municipal council meetings today, was not absent at the meetings of the members of the fire company. We find evidence of this in the recording of the company's company's special meeting on June 28, 1898, held in preparation preparation for the July 1st celebrations celebrations that year. , At the meeting, a motion was introduced "That the members of the company wear stand up collars on July 1." But this suggestion met with some opposition and, as a result, an amendment amendment permitting turn down collars was earned. Following this, there was a suggestion that each member member wear a white vest on July 1. But, that resolution was overturned by an amendment stating that "each member wear what they like in a body". White Gloves One motion which did, pass without amendment was that the company was to wear white gloves during the July 1 celebrations. In the 1958 Bowmanville history book entitled Bowmanville. Bowmanville. A Retrospect, the authors refer to one occasion in 1858 when volunteer firefighters firefighters informed the council for the newly-established Town of Bowmanville that they were dissatisfied with their remuneration and would resign if their pay was not increased. They walked out on March 17th. But ' council immediately went to work on establishing a new fire brigade consisting of 47 members in the engine company and 31 in the hook and ladder company. New Bell The book also recalls that in 1866, the fire company went after town council for Yes... We are Bowmanville Boosters RUST CONTROL CENTER • De-Salt • Rustproofing • Exterior Shine treatment • Truck accesories CANGO CAR WASH 153 King St. E., Bowmanville 623-2615 Rust protection for new and used vehicles. 'The People You Can Trust" YES! We are Bowmanville Boosters The Staff at Kut L 'N' Kurl Beauty Shop Violet, Wendy, Dian^'ipiar6lÿH?and'Fem(absentj l would like to invite .you .downtown for that little pampering you deserve! Drop by and see us - we care about your hair P.S. Our bilingual hairstylist Fern Archer is back! Her hours are Thurs. to Sat. She would be pleased to style your hair! "OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK" t ,;>r i Mon. • Tues. • Wed. Seniors'Discount Days Mon., Thurs., Fri. Evenings (By appt.) 71 King St. E. 623-5019 Bowmanville fire alarm bell and some of the purchases of equipment for the company in those days included oil cloth coats and "300 feet of English oak- tanned leather hose". In the spring of 1877, it was decided that Bowmanville Bowmanville would have a steam fire engine, but riot without first arranging a public demonstration demonstration to prove the value of such a device. On April 16,1877, Bowmanville Town Council authorized the purchase purchase of the machine at a cost of $2,900. One of the first detailed accounts of the company's response to fires is from 1916 -- a time when horse drawn equipment was still in use. At that time, one of the mqjor losses was at the Goodyear factory on Febru ary 19. Damage was estimated estimated at $1,500. In 1920, one comes across the first notations of "Motor and Men" responding to the alarm rather than the previ- ous'"Men and Horses". First Truck Arrives The reason, of course, was the arrival at. that time of the company's first motor powered vehicle, a Ford Model T pumper, on June 4, 1920. Later that month, the first testing of the new vehicle vehicle was conducted and it was reported that "in six minutes minutes from the ring of the bell, water was thrown". The arrival of the pumper brought about another change in the name of the group from "Alert Hose Company" to "Alert Fire Company". The chief at that 'time was William Edger. Further improvements to; the company's equipment oc-'-ij curred in the fall of 1926 1 with the arrival of a new ^ Godfredson pumper which-!" was tested at the "Jeffries J . Tank" at the'corner of King!; St. and Silver St. ' At the beginning of 1932, § we find that fire protection •:-{ in areas outside of the town I was being provided. One-of £ the first records of such pro-ej tection appears in 1932,;! when the Bowmanville fire-; fighters were called to-Tyrone to-Tyrone where four structures., including a store, barn and; house. 1 ■ Fire Prevention One of the early mentions | of Fire Prevention Week!-; came in 1948 when the com-,*; Turn to Page 16 We are Proud to be Bowmanville Boosters Realty Homes Ltd. 623-6121 The Staff of Century 21 Realty Homes 153 ChurchSt., Bowmanville We are Bowmanville Boosters! Beryl Christmas Tuuli Whalley Edna Barko mother ira) Custom Draperies and Interiors 34 B King St. W., Bowmanville 623-2826 We are 'iff..- Bowmanville 1 - u . ■■ . Boosters! CHRIS WUBBOLT ANDREA VICE JIM HAMILTON Welcome Feeds 116 King St. W., Bowmanville (Formerly Vanstone Mill) 623-5777 Yes! We are 1 Bowmanville Boosters!! 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