Tucson Fire Department Our Four-Footed Friends

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1 Tucson Fire Department Our Four-Footed Friends Al Ring Bob Ring 0

Our Four-Footed Friends For seventeen years, from 1900-1917, the Tucson Fire Department relied on horses to pull its firefighting apparatus to hundreds of fires around the city.

2 Our Four-Footed Friends For seventeen years, from , the Tucson Fire Department relied on horses to pull its firefighting apparatus to hundreds of fires around the city. In all, twelve different horses, working in teams of two or three, served the TFD and are remembered with great appreciation and affection. This article tells the story of the horses that served the TFD. For perspective on what was happening in Tucson and with the TFD during this period, please read the previous articles in the Reflections series. Why Horses? By the end of the 1890s, the Tucson Fire Department had four pieces of firefighting apparatus: two hose carts with wheels as high as a man, a 31-foot long hook & ladder wagon, and a chemical wagon with two 60-gallon tanks of fire retardant - all pulled by firefighters from the fire station on north Church Avenue to the location of fires around town. And the town was expanding rapidly, by 1900 extending from Speedway Boulevard in the north to 22 nd Street in the south, and Campbell Avenue in the east, to the Santa Cruz River in the west. The increasing size and weight of firefighting apparatus, the longer distances from the fire station to the site of some fires, and the growing (response) time to get there, argued strongly that horses were required to pull the firefighting apparatus. In 1898, under Chief Frank Russell s leadership, the TFD began to raise funds from entertainments at the Opera House and donations of concerned citizens to purchase four horses and special harnesses. 1 Funds were also collected from owners of property saved by firefighters. (Owners did not have to pay if their buildings burned to the ground.) Not every horse could serve as a fire horse, as the online article, The History of Horses in the Fire Service explains, The chemical wagon was first pulled by borrowed horses in the 1898 Fourth of July parade. Note the TFD Banner. (Courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society #B94484) 1 Foreshadowing the horse-drawn era, in July 1898 a Tucson businesswoman loaned the TFD a pair of horses to pull the chemical wagon in the Fourth of July parade. 1

3 The animals needed to be strong, swift, agile, obedient and fearless. At the scene they needed to stand patiently while embers and flames surrounded them. They needed to remain calm while the firefighters fought the blaze. This was the case in all weather conditions and in the midst of multitude of distractions. Horse-Drawn Period: In July 1900 the TFD purchased four horses and hired 62-year-old Frank Norton as Tucson s first paid firefighter, to care for the horses and as a driver. 2 The TFD s first horses were two blacks, Ted and Buck, to pull the hook & ladder wagon, and two whites, Tom and Jerry, to pull the chemical wagon. Norton began training the horses on various routes; the horses soon became very well known around town. A training accident with the horses was described in the July 26 th Tucson Daily Citizen, Yesterday afternoon while Frank Norton was driving them, they got it into their heads that they were needed at a real fire. As a result the hook and ladder is rather dilapidated the run ended in a heap at the foot of Alameda street. On August 1, 1900, with training completed, the formerly hand-drawn hook & ladder wagon and chemical wagon were fully converted to horse-drawn apparatus and the TFD horse-drawn equipment era began. On fire runs, a hose cart was often attached behind the chemical wagon. The harness for each apparatus was suspended on chains so that when the alarm rang, the well-trained horses sped to their stations and the harness was lowered upon them. The horses were kept directly in back of their fire wagons, two stalls on each side housing them. (Check out the fantastic video, Fire Horses, Harnessing, 1903 at In September 1903 the TFD purchased a horse-drawn hose wagon that carried a 24-foot extension ladder and 1,500 feet of hose. The TFD also purchased two additional horses - roan-colored horses named Glen and Babe - to pull the hose wagon. Also in 1903, the TFD promoted young hoseman Alex McNeil, to be the Department s second paid firefighter and the second driver of the horse-drawn fire wagons. 3 Sometime in the early horse-drawn equipment years, the TFD apparently picked up another horse referred to as Old Dick, perhaps as a backup for Buck, Ted, Tom, or Jerry. The only record we have about Old Dick s service is an appreciative report in the December 8, 1905 Arizona Citizen, following a foot injury to the horse, 2 Frank Norton served as a driver until August 1908 when he died from a sudden intestinal ailment. 3 At age 17, Alex McNeil hung around the fire station as horses were introduced in McNeil was accepted as a volunteer firefighter in 1901 before being promoted and hired as a paid driver in He was promoted to Engineer in 1911, to Captain in 1917, and to 2 nd Assistant Chief in McNeil served the TFD for a total of 41 years before his retirement in Alex McNeil died on December 28,

(Courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society) Glen and Babe pulling the

4 Tom and Jerry are hitched to the chemical wagon driven by Alex McNeil, with the new Santa Rita Hotel visible at the upper right, circa 1903/1904. (Courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society) Glen and Babe pulling the hose wagon driven by Lewis Earl Dollarhyde, circa (Courtesy of the TFD) 3

Old Dick has made his last run. Never again will he go charging through the broad streets and avenues of the Old Pueblo, pulling the chemical or the hook and ladder behind him.

A successful bond issue enabled the TFD to make major improvements in 1909, including replacing the old fire station on Church Avenue with a move to a new brick building on South 6 th Avenue,

5 Old Dick has made his last run. Never again will he go charging through the broad streets and avenues of the Old Pueblo, pulling the chemical or the hook and ladder behind him. A better, quicker, more intelligent horse never dashed out of the fire engine house than Dick. He was the pride of the department. A successful bond issue enabled the TFD to make major improvements in 1909, including replacing the old fire station on Church Avenue with a move to a new brick building on South 6 th Avenue, modernizing the fire alarm system, and purchasing a new fire engine called a Nott Steamer that used steam pressure to spray water from two hoses onto fires. The Nott Steamer weighed 7,000 pounds, was 8 2/3 feet high, 24 feet long, and 5 feet wide, and required three horses to pull it. (More on Nott Steamer to come) Alex McNeil served the TFD for 41 years. (Courtesy of the TFD) In early 1909 TFD Chief Sam Barkley travelled to the Gila Valley to purchase a well matched team of three gray horses - Dan, Dick, and Mike - to pull the Steamer. The TFD also purchased a three-horse hitch for the Steamer. On February 10, 1909 Harry Parker was appointed to be the paid Steamer driver and began training with the new gray team. 4 On the very first actual fire run with the Steamer on April 29, 1909, one of the grays stumbled and fell. As the Tucson Daily Citizen reported, Driver Parker applied the brakes and stopped the other engine horses. The fallen horse was unhitched and then quickly hitched up again and run resumed. The horse was not badly hurt. With the steamer in full operation with the new team of three grays, the TFD evaluated its overall situation with regard to horse-drawn equipment and requirements for horses. Ted and Buck, the two blacks that pulled the hook & ladder wagon, and Tom and Jerry, the two whites that pulled the chemical wagon were played out from nine years of heavy work pulling the fire apparatus. The question was what to do with them. Tucson needed horses for other jobs, like pulling garbage wagons or sprinkling carts. Or they could be sold at Harry Parker was hired as the driver of the Nott Steamer. (Courtesy of the TFD) 4 Harry Parker became the first paid Chief of the TFD in 1911, and served as Chief until

The hose wagon is on the right with the harnesses suspended in front. On the left is the chemical wagon.

6 Dan, Dick, and Mike, hitched to the Steamer, stand in front of the firehouse on South 6th Avenue with driver Harry Parker holding the fire department s Dalmatian mascot, circa (Courtesy of the TFD) Inside the fire station, The hose wagon is on the right with the harnesses suspended in front. On the left is the chemical wagon. Among the men in front of the Steamer are Alex McNeil (second from left) and Harry Parker (far right). Some of the old harnesses are housed today in the basement of Fire Central. (Courtesy of the TFD) 5

auction to the highest bidder if the TFD were not particular about the purchaser. Well, the TFD firefighters were very particular about the purchaser.

7 auction to the highest bidder if the TFD were not particular about the purchaser. Well, the TFD firefighters were very particular about the purchaser. The August 10, 1909 Tucson Daily Citizen described an emotional meeting of firefighters the previous night, When the matter of selling them came up there were half a dozen firemen on their feet at once protesting at a sale. One big fellow almost cried as he pleaded that the [horses] be pastured for life and not sold at all. The funds of the volunteers were not sufficient for such a course. But not a fireman would consent to an auction sale. Finally it was agreed to empower the chief to sell the horses to some man who was notably good to dumb brutes. The home for the animals and not the price to be obtained for them was what he was instructed to consider. A few days later it was arranged to auction the four horses to TFD driver Alex McNeil, assuring the faithful animals of good treatment. An additional team of two black horses, Hero and Prince, was soon purchased to replace Tom and Jerry on the chemical wagon. No horses were assigned to the 23-year-old hook & ladder wagon, that because of the other equipment, had just about come to the end of its usefulness. Alex McNeil bought Buck and Ted, and Tom and Jerry (shown here), after their retirement, circa (Courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society) So seven horses - Glen, Babe, Hero, Prince, Dan, Dick, and Mike - served the TFD through the end of the horse-drawn apparatus period. Over the years, they faithfully and dutifully pulled the fire equipment to countless fires around the city of Tucson. 5 There were some problems during these years, especially in the early years of the Steamer. In its first two years, the 7,000-pound Steamer overturned three times: in September 1909, when its wheels slid along metal streetcar tracks; in April 1910, while trying to turn around on a training run; and in May 1910, while trying to avoid a collision with a wood-filled wagon. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries to Dan, Dick, or Mike. Other incidents occurred with the TFD horses - some amusing, some not so much. Here s a list compiled from Tucson Daily Citizen reports: 5 The story of overall TFD operations during this period is documented in a previous Reflections article, Early 20 th Century:

Hero and Prince replaced Tom and Jerry on the chemical wagon, circa 1909. (Courtesy of the TFD) The driver is Alex McNeil.

8 Hero and Prince replaced Tom and Jerry on the chemical wagon, circa (Courtesy of the TFD) The driver is Alex McNeil. December 1909: Man broke ankle and suffered other injuries trying to avoid Harry Parker riding one horse, leading two others. May 1910: Dick runs away. On Saturday Dick was released from his stall for a moment. He was so steady and trustworthy that he could be trusted. But Dick, in a sudden caprice scrambled out of the firehouse and disappeared rapidly down the street. That left the fire department of the city of Tucson in a serious predicament for without Dick the transportation of the engine [Steamer] to a fire was almost out of the question. Possibly the safety of the municipality rested right then on Dick. Searchers departed in haste to find him. They hunted widely for him, but failed. No trace of him anywhere. Now the fire bell clangs three during the day, at seven, eleven, and four o clock. Just when suspense and apprehension was at its height in the firehouse and everyone was fearing lest an alarm might come in. The bell clanged. It was the eleven o clock signal. Immediately thereafter, like a hurricane out of a clear sky, Dick came tearing in through the rear entrance. Dashing around a stall and a swerving to miss a post, he jumped into his place under the harness in front of the engine. Dick was ready for duty. 7

9 June 1910: Three grays bolt. A regular monthly business meeting of the regular and volunteer members of the fire department was enlivened last night by a performance of the three gray engine horses, the pride of the department. At one stage in the proceedings the bell rang an ordinary signal and the horses sprang to their places under the harness supports. The harness failed to fall, and the next moment the three grays by unanimous consent bolted out the door and disappeared. Just then the firemen wondered what would happen if a fire should break out somewhere while the engine lacked horses. To draw the horses back by force of training, they rang the firebell again and again while all the rest of the town was wondering where the fire was. The horse failed to answer. Late in the evening a scouting party of the firemen located them out at the city farm. 6 September 1910: Fireman is thrown from Hose Wagon in parade. When the parade was nearing the end of its course one of the patent trace [harness] attachments gave way from the hose wagon and the nervous team immediately became a jumble of horse flesh. The liberated horse whirled around until he was in a position to stare at the driver in the face, and plunged wildly. That he did not stare the driver in the face was perhaps due to the fact that the latter had been jerked from his seat by the lines, and thrown under the wheels. April Triple Hitch of grays makes run without equipment. The big gray horses which furnish the motive power to the fire department steamer created much excitement in the northwestern part of the city this morning by running away while detached from the steamer during a short period of time while the steamer was pumping water on Sixth avenue. Once started, the speed of the grays was accelerated by their double-trees [harness] which struck them on the heels. September 1914: Hose wagon collided with another wagon while the horses were being exercised. Minor injuries to other wagon s occupants; wagon wheel was broken. 6 The city farm was a Tucson owned and operated farm that housed animals that served the city, like horses used in municipal services such as pulling fire equipment, garbage wagons, or sprinklers. The farm also served as a city sewage outfall. In 1900 the farm was located about 3/4 of a mile northwest of the business district, but in 1914 it was moved further northwest at a distance of about 4 ½ miles from downtown due to increased sewage disposal requirements. 8

Transition to Gasoline-Powered Era: 1914-1917 The days of horse-drawn fire equipment in Tucson were about to come to an end.

Plus, there was a need to pump more water onto fires than the horse-drawn equipment could provide.

In June 1914 Tucson purchased its first motorized truck, a This headline appeared in the January 9, 1914 Tucson Daily Citizen.

10 Transition to Gasoline-Powered Era: The days of horse-drawn fire equipment in Tucson were about to come to an end. The same reasons that horse-drawn equipment replaced fireman-pulled equipment in longer distances to fires in an expanding city, and longer response times - now argued for motorized apparatus. Plus, there was a need to pump more water onto fires than the horse-drawn equipment could provide. It only took three years for Tucson to complete the transition from horse-drawn equipment to gasoline-powered fire trucks. In June 1914 Tucson purchased its first motorized truck, a This headline appeared in the January 9, 1914 Tucson Daily Citizen. hand-cranked, four cylinder Velie combination chemical and hose apparatus. Then in June 1917, the TFD bought two self-starting, six cylinder Seagrave pumper trucks. Velie Fire Truck, circa (Courtesy of the TFD) The Velie fire truck effectively made the hose wagon obsolete. We believe that the hose wagon was probably retired in 1914, along with its team of roan horses, Glen and Babe, although we have found no specific information in records of the day to support this. Seagrave Fire Truck, circa (Courtesy of the TFD) There are newspaper records that indicate that the chemical wagon, although more than 20 years old, was used sparingly until 1917, when it was decommissioned and its team of black horses, Hero and Prince, were pensioned to the city farm. The team of three grays continued to pull the Nott Steamer until the Seagrave fire trucks arrived in June Dan, Dick, and Mike were all retired to the city farm. Mike was later taken out of retirement to draw the buggy of a former street superintendent and died from a collision with an automobile. Dan was the last survivor of the TFD s faithful equine members, dying in 1930 at age 27 on the city farm. Joseph A. Roberts was Chief of the TFD from , during the early years of the gasoline-powered fire apparatus period. But Robert s service extended back to the horse-drawn days. In an interview in the January 4, 1929 Tucson Daily Citizen, Chief Roberts eloquently recalled our four-footed friends, 9

11 Much of the romance of fire fighting was removed with the old fire horses. It was a real pleasure to enter the fire house when we had our horses. The smell of the horses, the odor of the bedding straw and the sounds from the stables were pleasant to the firemen. None of the horses was vicious. They were all pets, intelligent and well trained. They knew their duties as well as the men knew their own. When an alarm was turned in, automatically releasing the chains of their stalls, the horses trotted quickly to their places and stood still while the harness was dropped on their backs and made fast. They actually were thrilled by a run. Returning to the fire house from a call the horses would return quietly to their stalls where they always were rubbed down. They seemed almost human to the firemen. Crowds of children and many dogs were attracted to the fire station by the horses, but now few visit us. We all realize the greater speed and efficiency of motor equipment, but those of us who were members of the department before its motorization often recall the old horses with pleasant memories. To help all of us remember the horses that served the TFD so well, we created the table below. There are question marks (?) where we lack specific data. TFD records and newspaper articles are notoriously spotty (and contradictory) during this period. There may have been additional (unidentified) horses who served as backups to the primary teams of horses. Also, we know that horses or teams sometimes traded apparatus assignments for periods of time, for instance in parades. We believe that the table shows the primary assignments of our four-footed friends. These are the horses that served the Tucson Fire Department. No. Name Color Apparatus Service Years After TFD Service 1 Buck Black Hook & Ladder Wagon Auctioned to Alex McNeil 2 Ted Black Hook & Ladder Wagon Auctioned to Alex McNeil 3 Tom White Chemical Wagon Auctioned to Alex McNeil 4 Jerry White Chemical Wagon Auctioned to Alex McNeil 5 Glen Roan Hose Wagon 1903?-1914?? 6 Babe Roan Hose Wagon 1903?-1914?? 7 Old Dick? Hook & Ladder Wagon? Used on garbage wagon Chemical Wagon 8 Hero Black Chemical Wagon Retired to City Farm 9 Prince Black Chemical Wagon 1909?-1917? 10 Dan Gray Nott Steamer Retired to City Farm 11 Dick Gray Nott Steamer Retired to City Farm 12 Mike Gray Nott Steamer Retired to City Farm 10

12 Our four-footed friends also include dogs that were mascots of the TFD. From a review of historical records, we can identify at least two canine mascots during the horse-drawn apparatus period. The first is the Dalmatian shown earlier in the photograph of the Nott Steamer. This dog is referred to in City Council minutes as Jack (being granted a gratuitous dog license for services rendered) and by the names, Banker and Hero, in newspaper articles. Unfortunately, the dog met a tragic end when the Steamer, on its way to a fire, raced around a corner, throwing him from the seat and crushing him under the wheels. The second dog, named Don, also died tragically, run over by the Velie fire truck in July 1914, following a false alarm. Primary Sources 1. Our Four-Footed Friends, 2. The History of Horses in the Fire Service, 3. Video: Fire Horses Being Harnessed in 1903, Art Horse Magazine, July 16, 2010, 11

Greater Tucson Fire Foundation Thank you for taking an interest in Tucson Fire Department history This is one of many sections that contain information, documents, letters, newspaper articles,

13 Greater Tucson Fire Foundation Thank you for taking an interest in Tucson Fire Department history This is one of many sections that contain information, documents, letters, newspaper articles, pictures, etc. They have been collected and arranged in chronological order or by a subject. These items were collected, organized and entered into a computerized database by Dave Ridings Retired Assistant Chief Tucson Fire Department, Al Ring friend of the department, Greater Tucson Fire Foundation and with the help of many friends and fellow firefighters. All graphics have been improved to make the resolution as good as possible, but the reader should remember that many came from copies of old newspaper articles. This also applies to other items such as documents, letters, etc. Credit to the source of the documents, photos, etc. is provided whenever it was available. We realize that many items are not identified and regret that we weren t able to provide this information. As far as the newspaper articles that are not identified, 99% of them would have to be from one of three possible sources. The Arizona Daily Star, The Tucson Citizen and the Tucson Daily Citizen, for which we want to give a special thanks. Please use this information as a reference tool only. If the reader uses any of the information for any purpose other than a reference tool, they should get permission from the source. Should the reader have additional information on the above subject we would appreciate you sharing it with us. Please see the names and contact information on the 1st. TFD Archives page right below this paragraph. 12

Hall Of Flame Museum

Hall Of Flame Museum This is one of many sections that contain information, documents, letters, newspaper articles, pictures, etc. They have been collected and arranged in chronological order. These items