Grand Rapids Fire Fighters Union 

Horse Stories #18 . . and more Grand Rapids Fire Department History

 

February 1911

 

The City of Grand Rapids is proud of Engine House #12

 

A handsome English bulldog named “Buster” is its mascot and the two horses that pull new Hose Wagon #12 are “Doc” and “Seal”. Engine House No. 12 has settled down after a three month trial and the routine is now as steady as any engine house in the city.

 

Engine House #12 is situated at the corner of Grandville Avenue and Hall Street and is the latest acquisition of the Grand Rapids Fire Department. It was built in the fall of 1910 and January 22nd seven men were drawn from different engine houses and assigned to it.

 

The new engine house fills a long felt want in that section of the city since residence construction has progressed at a good rate over the past five years. There are also fifteen large manufacturing plants within No. 12’s responding limits, which add materially to the necessity for its existence.

 

The building is modern in every sense of the word. It is built with light paving brick, is of neat design and presents a handsome appearance. A tall elm tree on the east side affords ample shade in the morning and on the west side an apple tree is growing close to the inside of the sidewalk. When the building was erected there was talk of cutting down the apple tree, but a strenuous objection was entered by W.B. Weston of the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners.

 

First Captain of Engine House #12 is Peter Nagelkerke

 

At present the engine house is equipped with one hose wagon. Within the next few weeks a steamer will be installed, dependent upon the arrival of several auto trucks and hose wagons that have been ordered. When the first one arrives, the steamer from Engine House #3 will be sent to No. 12, together with its horses. The steamer will complete the compliment of equipment at 12’s. Seven men comprise the force at the station now and when the steamer arrives, three more men will be added.

 

The members of Hose Company #12 and years of service are as follows:

 

• Captain Peter Nagelkerke, 17 years, transferred from Engine House #6
• Lieutenant Wesley L. White, 17 years, transferred from Engine House #5
• Driver Fred Patterson, 6 years, transferred from Engine House #1
• Pipeman Thomas McDonald, 24 years, transferred from Engine House #1
• Pipeman John F. Haggerty, 12 years, transferred from Engine House #1
• Pipeman Benjamin Emaus, 12 years, transferred from Engine House #3
• Pipeman John E. Cole, 13 years, transferred from Engine House #1

 

“Buster”, who is considered by the men of Station #12 as the prize mascot of the department, is on the job at every fire. The first clang of the bell finds him pawing at the door, anxious to be the first on the scene.

 

“Doc”, probably the dean of all the fire horses, has a good start on the road to the thirtieth milestone in his life. Yet, for all that, he is as frisky, as good looking and as ready to respond when the alarm sounds as any horse in the department. For 19 years he has headed Chemical Engine No. 1 and in that time, besides exercising, has responded to 4,106 alarms and has only been sick one day. As the old hose wagon is being supplanted by new and modern auto apparatus, soon “Doc” will be relegated to the ranks of a has-been. This probably means that he will be in service on a milk wagon, statistics showing that the majority of antiquated fire horses are “canned” to the milk routes. Whether “Doc” will be able to steady down to a slow going delivery horse at once or deliver up a few impromptu “milk shakes”, remains to be seen.

 

Engine House No. 12 serves a big territory

 

The territory covered by Station #12 comprises everything between 5th Street (Franklin) and the city limits to the south and west and everything east to South Division. Among the large factories in its limits are the Grand Rapids Refrigerator Company, Stickley Brothers; Michigan Chair Company, Excelsior Wrapper Company, Grand Rapids Piano Company, Nichols & Cox Lumber Company, Acme Lumber Company, C.W. Luce & Sons, Lindner Manufacturing Company, Keeler Brass Works, Retting Furniture Company, Fancy Furniture Company, Terrel Equipment Company, Grand Rapids & Indiana car shops and freight house. The Coit addition, familiarly known as the “black hills”, did not contain a house 10 years ago; while today there are over 200 homes.

 

Layout of the new station

 

The engine house measures 82 x 48 feet. It has a roomy basement, in which is located the heating plant. The furnace connects directly with the hose tower in such a manner that when frozen hose is hung in it heat from the furnace and auxiliary pipes will quickly thaw it out.

 

The captain’s room is situated in a front corner of the second floor. In its rear is a large bath room and toilet. A shower bath is one of its features. The dormitory contains 11 beds and is 34 x 28 feet. At the back end are 11 large lockers. A foot wall separates the dormitory from the hay loft and back of this is the granary.

 

An office and lounging room, 15 x 15 feet in size, is in one corner of the first floor. The apparatus room has a cement floor, with drain pipes in the center, and is 30 x 24 feet. In back of the apparatus room are six horse stalls and the barn adjoins the stalls. A large shed in the rear of the station house is used for storing coal, shavings and the exercise ring.

   

This old station still exists and is owned by the Hispanic Center. I recently provided some of the data you have just read to a local company that plan to use it to renovate this building to near original condition.

 

Old Steam Fire Engine – Whistle Signals

 

December 1, 1868

 

Meeting of the Louis Campau Steamer Company (Old Alert Fire Company #1)

 

Resolved that any member being absent from washing hose after a fire shall be fined 50 cents unless excused by the company.

 

Engineer George R. Price then made some remarks in regard to conveying orders from one officer to another at a fire.

 

Resolved that the following signals be adopted by the company:

 

Three sounds of the whistle shall call the foreman to the steamer.

 

Four or more sounds of the whistle shall give the engineer two or more men to procure coal for the steamer.

 

One prolonged sound of the whistle shall call the entire company to the steamer.

 

By request of the engineer the foreman appointed Cornelius Sonke as assistant fireman to Steamer Louis Campau.

 

The foreman then appointed as pipemen: Martin Howe, Nicholas Howe, James Uppeneer and Dennis Schram

 

Signed, Secretary Kryn Dykema

 

New Steamer Whistle Signals:

 

In May of 1923, Fire Department Clerk John Craig found and old fire brigade instruction sheet.

 

It revealed that in 1884 while Fire Marshal Henry Lemoin was chief of the department there were 59 alarm boxes and 14 pieces of fire apparatus (In 1923 there were 340 alarm boxes and 34 pieces of fire apparatus). In 1884 there were 7 hose wagons, 3 steamers, 2 chemicals and 2 hook and ladder vehicles.

 

Appearing on the list of fire alarm locations were the Stave Factory, the Chair Factory, Chubb’s Foundry, Harrison Wagon Works, Starr Mills and the Hotel Clarendon. By 1923 most of those businesses had been destroyed by fire.

 

The most interesting part of the old instruction sheet is the old Steam Fire Engine Whistle Signals:

   

The only cases now (1923) where steamer whistles are used is when a coal supply is needed at a fire. (The few steam fire engines left in the department are all reserve apparatus and are only used at extra alarm fires)

 

More horse stories and history next issue.

 

Robert Imhoff --Retired Captain, Apparatus Division