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Watertown Fire Department
1857 - 2007
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1857 Watertown
Fire Department established
1858 Jacob Jussen paid rent for engine
house 07 15
1876 Phoenix Fire Co, No. 2. Organized 1876.
1868 Mayor’s Inaugural Speech: “Our Fire Department has been shamefully
neglected . . “ 05 07
1871 Great Peshtigo
Fire: An Eyewitness Account
1872 Habhagger Brewery fire
1873 Parade
cancelled by tornado 07 04
1876c Alarms sounded with stick and old tin pan
by Charley Huber Sr
1880 Fred Newmann
retirement (discharge certificate) from
fire department (WHS_005_480)
“ . he shall be hereafter, so long as he
shall reside in this City, exempt from Poll Tax and from Serving
on Juries and from
Military Duty, except in case of insurrection or invasion . “
Henry Bieber City Clerk
William H Rohr President, Watertown Fire
Dept
Carl Goeldner Treasurer, Watertown Fire
Dept
1906 It is reported that at the time
of the fire at the residence of Robert Brennecke [813 Western Ave] a lady
living in the neighborhood discovering the fire by the reflection of the flames
through a window, telephoned to the central office asking that the fire
department be notified. She was told to
go to an alarm box and turn in an alarm which would have required several
minutes, even if she had known where the alarm box was located. If the report
is true, it is to be regretted, for every person in the city is anxious that an
alarm of fire should reach the department at the earliest possible moment, and
as the city has given the telephone company a valuable franchise and its employees
go upon the roofs of buildings at all times to string wires leaving wire and
nail holes in the roofs, it certainly would be but a simple matter of courtesy
to aid in the preservation of property from destruction by fire. The writer
does not wish to be captious nor critical in the matter and only refers to it
that the company in the future may cooperate with other citizens in extending
all possible aid in case of fire. 01 02
1906 Three weeks ago, the Republican in the issue following the fire
at the Brennecke residence contained a general criticism of the Telephone
Company for not turning in the alarm to the fire department telephone to the
central office. Immediately following the appearance of the article in the Republican, the Daily Times of January 6th contained the following
“explanation”: 01 27
An
erroneous impression has gone abroad regarding the turning in of a fire alarm
at the time of the Brennecke fire. The telephone manager wishes it corrected.
He says that since the introduction of the fire alarm system the telephone
central has never been requested by the authorities to turn in fire alarms as
previously done. On the day in question, however, one of the operators was
called up and told to turn in an alarm. The manager claims the girl tried the
west side house but got no response and she then notified the person calling
that it might be quicker to turn in the alarm from the box and not wait. If
this be true the published statements regarding the affair are unjust to the
operator. Hereafter when persons wish to send in an alarm in case of fire and
when the fire alarm box is not in the immediate vicinity they may send the
alarm by telephone to the central station, giving the location of the fire and
central will notify the fire department and both houses simultaneously. This
matter has been arranged with the telephone management by Chief Clafer, who
requested that the public be notified through the press of the change.
1906 The Silsby fire engine which was
sent to Seneca Falls, N.Y. some time ago to be repaired arrived back Thursday,
and was tested Saturday by Chief Glaser and assistants and found to be all
right, and is hoped that its service will not be needed. 02 18
1906 A trial of old fire engine No. 1
was made yesterday afternoon, the scene being on the river bank back of the old
brewery. The trial was under the
direction of Otto Biefeld, former chief and was for the purpose of instructing
the new engineer of fire engines, August Schmidt with the duties of the
position to which he was recently elected by the council, which was formerly
held by Mr. Biefeld. Despite the fact
that the engine has been in service in Watertown for a period of thirty years
this summer, the former chief declares that it does just as good work as ever
and that during the trial yesterday, it threw a stream across the river. It is
said Mr. Schmidt takes hold of the work with much credit to himself. The first
engineer was Ferdinand Bursinger and the first chief William Schuette. 05 18
1906 F. Kahlpacker of Cincinnati,
Ohio, in the employ of the LaFrance Fire Engine Company, with headquarters at
Chicago, reached here yesterday morning and put a new pump on the fire engine
Phoenix No. 2, which was repaired by said company and received back about four
months ago. After the new pump was attached the engine was tested by the chief
and assistants and furnished the required quantity of water and it appeared to
be serviceable, throwing a strong, steady stream of water without the aid of
parts, with which it keeps the boilers supplied with water. Mr. Kahlpacker took
his departure last night, feeling quite confident that the engine would be
accepted by the city council at the regular meeting tonight. 06 22
1906 The final test of the Silsby
engine was made yesterday afternoon, perched on the river bank near the Cady Street bridge and subsequently on the Main
Street bridge. The first test was based with three lengths of hose and water
was thrown nearly if not quite across the river at that point. Afterward with the Siamese twin coupling,
water was sent across the river without any trouble. The engine was then taken
to the
1906 A 1906 Gamewell automatic
system, on display at the Hall of Flame Fire Museum and the National
Firefighting Hall of Heroes, located in Phoenix, AZ, is believed to be that of
Watertown.
1908
04 22 No. 1 fire engine was taken out of its
storage and tested
08 07 Beals & Torey false
fire alarm. 08 07 WG
08 07 Letter of Nic Bruegger
of his time with H&L Co.
1912
10 04 Charles
Straw, 1851 - 1912
1957
07 23 Watertown's
new fire truck, a 7 1/2 ton American-LaFrance, arrived in Watertown yesterday
afternoon and was unloaded this morning at the freight yards of the Milwaukee
Road at the foot of South Fifth Street.
The new truck replaces the city's first motorized fire truck, a
Seagrave, which has been in use here 32 years.(*) The new truck was shipped from the
American-LaFrance Co. headquarters at Elmira N.Y. and arrived somewhat ahead of
schedule. It cost $18,448, based on the
bid specifications. WDT
(*) The city’s first motorized
fire truck was a 1917 Seagrave. The
second was obtained in 1928. Both were
in service into the 1940s, with the 1928 Seagrave in use until 1957. (p 198 of
fire history book)
1967
04 01 Patrick Theder joined
force. Filled vacancy by retirement of
Jerome (Whitey) Donahue. WDT
07 06 1982
Flood, Fire Department pumps water from basements and businesses [WHS_005_548] WDT
12
11 Fire truck gets a new engine and
transmission to “improve roadability and pumpability.” WDT
1983
05
05 Riverview
Commons apartment complex to be rebuilt following fire WDT
1996
02 10 Michael J. Knope,
1960-1996 WDT
1997
07 09 Expansion of
the Watertown fire station has been recommended by the public works committee of
the Watertown Common Council. The
committee endorsed the construction of a building addition, 28 feet by 60 feet,
in the south driveway of the fire station.
The addition will have room for storage of four of the department's
largest vehicles. Currently, the
department is unable to store its heaviest equipment in the fire station
because the floor's load capacity is inadequate. The floor, which is deteriorated, wasn't
designed to hold the larger fire vehicles being built these days. WDT
08 18 Lenius building fire WDT
1998
08 13 Larry E. Sterwald,
1938-1998 WDT
2001
09 11 9_11 image
2005 Tire
fire: Settlement up to
date on second anniversary of tire fire, WHS_005_550 July 19-24
2006 City reaches deal on fire contracts with
townships, Doc WHS_005_549
2007
07 27 Listing of all fire department personnel
08 07 Fire
at 116 W Main, above Rico’s Pizza
08 12 Book on
150-year history of the Watertown Fire Dept released.
09 08 Controlled
burn, training event
10 12 Keith
Knollenberg hired as full-time firefighter/paramedic
11 12 Watertown
Head Start visited to promote fire safety.
2008
01 02 Perry Street
apartment building totally destroyed by fire by a mattress fire [WHS_005_555]
02 28 Brad Fox joins dept as
firefighter/paramedic
03 09 South
Tenth St home fire claims one
03 29 Vacant
home at 316 Summit Ave., owned by Mae Snell-Lynch Gloede, was declared a total
loss. When firefighters arrived at the
scene 75 percent of the home was engulfed in flames. While battling the blaze, firefighters also
had the task of keeping the flames from spreading to an adjacent building and a
number of cars parked near the home.
Twenty-three firefighters from fire departments in Watertown and Ixonia
battled blaze. No injuries
reported. WDT story and photo
04 25 North Washington
St duplex fire caused by lightning
05 07 Mike Meyers recognized by City Council
for 40 years of service WDT,
includes pic
05 07 Watertown aerial ladder provided mutual
aid, Lake Mills apartment bldg WDT story
05 21 Mason Pugh
new firefighter/paramedic, replaces Ray Tessmann.
