Here’s an unusual bit of history from Western North Carolina. The great flood of July 16, 1916, killed the Fire Chief of Biltmore Village, J. C. Lipe. He drowned, along with three other members of his family, trying to escape from their home. His death was reported in this Raleigh News and Observer article about …
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Would you believe a yellow tanker in Charlotte? This nifty picture was posted to the Fire & Rescue Apparatus 25 Years And Older group on Facebook. Photo by Dan Mack via Scott Mattson’s collection. It’s a 1972 International/Etnyre, 500/1500. As the story goes, Charlotte added these tankers when the city began growing faster than planned …
This vintage picture was posted by Thomas Landen to the N.C. Old Photos and Things of Interest group on Facebook. Late 1930s or maybe early 1940s American LaFrance 500 Series, ex-Melfa, VA, and the first truck for Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, in Gates County. Bought in 1957 for $750.
History peeps, who can help me locate pre-1910 conference proceedings from the North Carolina State Firefighter’s Association? Anyone have any of these small paperback booklets in hand? Making an inventory, and my findings are below. Plus a link to some scans of these, for your reading pleasure. 1888 – Greensboro History Museum 1889 – ? …
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Introduction Here’s a historical perspective on Guilford County’s fire system in 1966, including dispatch procedures, unit numbering, radio signals, and run cards. Plus a pair of incident details. This was presented at the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association annual meeting that year, held in Carolina Beach on August 1 and 2, and is copied from …
In August 1933, the members of the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association went on record as favoring standard hose threads for all fire departments in the state. This would aid in mutual aid situations, so visiting apparatus could connect with a particular town or city’s apparatus and water system. A committee was formed on the matter, …
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Found this while doing other research last week. We first discussed on the Facebook side. Memo to self: add to fallen firefighters database. On November 26, 1946, Durham Fire Chief Frank W. Bennett died at Watts Hospital. His death was duty-related. Chief Bennett became ill on November 6, while supervising a fire at the Durham Mattress …
In 1777, the state legislature passed an Act for the Regulation of the Town of Hillsborough, which included that every household have two buckets and one ladder, and keep them “in continual readiness” in case of fire. This pre-dates by decades the 1848 references in town minutes to fire equipment. See that history here, by …
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Yes, it’s history month at Blog Central. Was shown this last week, from a fellow researcher. The story of fire protection in Colonial Wilmington, from a May 1975 article in the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society Bulletin. Includes details on what was likely North Carolina’s first hand engine, delivered circa 1756. Plus a few details …
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Here’s a vintage booklet about the Salem Fire Department, printed for the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary, celebrated on September 16, 1893. The twenty-page booklet includes a history of the department going back to the Moravian settlement of 1766, and first fire protection laws in 1773. It’s presented courtesy of Duke University’s David M. Rubenstein Rare …
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