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**The Town Fire Service**
What is now known as Lowell, was set off from East Chelmsford and incorporated as a town in 1826, and the compiler of this brief historical sketch of the fire service of Lowell has not gone back over the town records in securing data, although had he done so he would have found less difficulty in securing facts, as there is probably no town in Massachusetts whose early records have been so shabbily preserved as our own. Except the town record book, which gives only the business transacted in the town meetings, no papers or documents could be found in the strong boxes in City Hall, and the most diligent inquiry has failed to find anybody that could give reliable information of their whereabouts. A reasonably connected account has been secured from various sources, however.
At about the middle of 1825 there were only three available engines in the vicinity of the town. One owned by Mr. Hurd, proprietor of Hurds Mill on Hurd Street, another owned by the Merrimack Company and a third kept at Middlesex Village. They were of the primitive pattern, without suction, and could work only by being filled with water which was passed in buckets by the inhabitants from the nearest supply, whether a well, pond or river.
After the incorporation of the town the necessity of a more systematic means of fighting a fire was felt and a board of fire wards was inaugurated in accordance with the general law of the state. This law provided that the inhabitants of each town at their annual meeting should elect a suitable number of persons to act as fire wards. The position of fire ward was one of the most important in the town and only men of "eminent gravity" were honored with the appointment.
Up to 1829 there was no public engine in town. The largest property interest was owned by the several corporations, and most of them had machines for the preservation of their own property, although they were used for general purposes when required, and manned by volunteers.
At the annual meeting held in March 1829, the first steps were taken toward organization of a Fire Department. At that meeting it was voted to raise $1,000 to purchase a fire engine with sufficient quantity of hose, etc., and to authorize the fire wards to act as a committee to purchase the engine. The committee entered into an agreement with a Mr. Thayer of Boston for one of his best suction hose engines, which was to be completed about the first of June 1830 at the price of $650. They had also agreed with Mr. Boyd of Boston for 200 feet of hose and joints, at a cost of 86 cents a foot.
The committee appointed to consider the organization of the Fire Department, reported favorably, and " Capt. Ford was appointed to put the same in form and lay it before the town meeting." At the meeting designated, the town appointed the fire wards a committee to locate and build an engine house, and to provide places for keeping the ladders, fire hooks, etc. At the next meeting of the fire wards the following vote was passed as taken from the records kept by the clerk, J. H. B. Ayer : " That the engine house be located on the easterly side of Central street between the corner of Merrimack street and the Canal Bridge, on the land of the proprietors of the Locks and Canals company, where it may remain, rent free, till such time as the said company have occasion to make some other use of the land, when it is to be removed by the town to some other place."
A petition was duly sent to the Legislature by the town, and an act creating the Lowell Fire Department was passed by that body, February 6, 1830. The first engine was purchased and placed in the house built for it on the corner of Central and Merrimack streets. The engine was called the "Niagara".
Although the town had bought an engine and received authority to organize a fire department, no immediate steps appear to have been taken to make the service more efficient. The engine was locked up in the house, and had no organized company. When a fire occured it was pulled out and manned by such force as happened to be at command. In 1832 the idea was projected of forming a permanent company to work the engine. Captain J. G. Peabody, Charles Gregg and a few other young men were active in promoting the movement, and the company was soon organized.
In 1836 Lowell emerged from her probationary period as a town and took
her place among the cities of the Commonwealth. Since that time she has
advanced steadily forward, and her fire department has kept pace in all
directions.
You can e-mail Historian Bill Dempsey anytime at: firemec113@aol.com
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No Account concerning the Fire Service of the City of Lowell would be complete without at least the mention of these Firefighters who paid the Highest Price in serving their fellow man.
Firefighter Daniel White died in the line of duty 5/24/1864
Fire Captain Edward Cunnigham died in the line of duty 4/27/1924
Firefighter Michael Miskel died in the line of duty 1/30/1927
Firefighter Richard D. Marshall died in the line of duty 3/18/1939
Firefighter Joseph Sheehy died in the line of duty 6/10/1943
Firefighter Peter O'Rourke died in the line of duty 6/18/1943
Firefighter James King died in the line of duty 1/24/1951
Firefighter Harry Young died in the line of duty 7/26/1951
Firefighter John Wojtas died in the line of duty 5/16/1967
Fire Lieutenant Gerald Cushing died in the line of duty 12/24/1973
Firefighter William Arpin died in the line of duty 1/3/1975
Firefighter John B. Gannon died in the line of duty 8/7/1986
Firefighter Kelly Page died in the line of duty 9/14/07