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| Village News | |||
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Menace of Fire 1893 - By G. Allyn Van Winkle (Reprinted from "The Pelham Sun" in 1960) Sixty-seven years ago, on February 7, 1893, to be exact, a group of men, desirous of protecting their homes from the menace of fire, organized two volunteer fire companies in Pelham. These two companies, now known as Relief Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 and Liberty Engine and Hose Company No. 1, have continued down through the years. The third company of the First Fire District, Hose Company No. 2 of Pelham, was organized in 1911. The chief motivating factor in the formation of the fire companies was the fact that in 1892, two large houses in Pelhamville were destroyed by fire. Aid was called from New Rochelle, but it was impossible to prevent the destruction of the buildings. Wells and cisterns were drained nearly dry of water in the fight against the flames, but to no avail. Accordingly the men met and drew straws to determine which should belong to each company. Those drawing long straws became Hook and Ladder men and those getting short ones, joined the Hose Company. Equipment consisted of a hose jumper and a truck with three or four ladders, both vehicles being hand-drawn. An appropriation was placed in the Town budget for $2,400 to cover cost of equipment and construction of a fire headquarters building. But here the organization struck a snag, according to former Fire Commissioner William Edinger of Fourth Avenue. |
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