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History of the Oshkosh Fire Department

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History of the Oshkosh Fire Department Germania Fire Company Number 2 History of the Oshkosh Fire Department As the City of Oshkosh began to develop with the formation of the first volunteer and grow in the mid 19th century, the fire company in Oshkosh. threat of fire destroying this new development evolved as well. This new On October 23, 1856 Pioneer Engine city was founded on the sawmills with Company Number One, the first both process and product producing a organized fire company, was born as the hazard of fires along with the threat of members gathered at Marks Hall. The conflagration that any dense name of this company was changed a development brings. short time later to the Number One Niagara Company. William Wall was The need to protect the lives and elected as the foreman of this company investments of its citizens was at its first meeting. The funding for this recognized early in Oshkosh’s history company came from a special tax levy of with action taken as early as 1854 to one percent issued just the day before on purchase hooks and ladders to be used in October 22, 1856. The Niagara was the event of fire. This action was followed by a second company on followed up less than two years later February 4, 1857 which was known as the Germania Fire Engine Company largest of all on April 28, 1875. The fire Number Two. As the name would imply, of 1875 destroyed most of the business its ranks were primarily of German district including 70 stores, 40 factories, decent and they elected Jacob and 500 homes. These great fires are Gruenwald as their foreman. These first each a story unto themselves and have two volunteer fire companies operated been covered very well by other authors. independently until April 21, 1857 when Captain N. Emerson was elected the first The first big change for the fire Chief Engineer overseeing the entire department came in 1863 when the next City department. The Union Hook and engine company was formed, Phoenix Ladder Company was also formed in Steam Engine Company One, although these early years, putting the number of they did not actually receive their fire companies with their own stations in “steamer”, as the steam fire engines the City at three. were referred to, until June 21, 1866. Another fire house was then constructed In these early years the bells would ring on West Algoma and the Niagara and men would drop their daily business Company moved to that location. This for the emergency at hand. The early building included a dance hall and social apparatus, often referred to in the day as center on the second floor. The next “machines”, were pulled to the scene engine company to be formed was the and operated by manpower. Bucket Brooklyn in 1868 which was also a brigades were at times the source of steam engine. This brought our fire supply to fill the machine with water so companies in the City to four, which the an appropriate stream could be Brooklyn was appropriately numbered. developed by the hand-operated In 1872, the Germania hand-engine pumping apparatus. At other times, the company had been disbanded. hand operated pump could draw suction from the river, nearby cistern, or horse trough. In those days the fire company was not just a group dedicated to public safety, but was a social group as well and included the ranks of many influential people in the community. These early fire companies not only provided fire service to the community, but also volunteered their service in the Civil War, enlisting their service on April 22 of 1861. Engine 3 William H Doe th, It would not be until 1874 that another In 1859, on May 10 the first of the engine company would be formed, great fires to hit Oshkosh occurred, which was another steam engine putting the fire department to the test. company, the William H. Doe, which Every building on Ferry Street, now was given the number three designation North Main Street, was destroyed. as there were now three engine Several other devastating conflagrations companies and one ladder company. struck Oshkosh in 1866, 1874, and the The advent of the steam fire engine set the tone for some other big changes for An engine company was added in 1906, the department. The first of which was Engine Company Eight, on New York the need for more power to pull the and Central. This led to the closing of apparatus, which had been done by men, the Phoenix Engine house in the 500 but now the need for horsepower arose Block of Main Street, with Engine One with the heavy machines. The steam now moving to the truck house. engines themselves were not simple to operate and required a skilled “engineer” to maintain and operate the engine. These two changes, along with growth and demand for service, started the migration to a fully paid fire department. In 1877, the decision was made to switch to a fully paid fire department; the engineers and drivers were absorbed into this newly formed department and “hosemen” were added to the roster. The department was also given its first full- State Street “Truck House” time Fire Chief, H.P. Schmidt. The personnel of the department worked a The beginning of another major change grueling schedule of six days on and one for the department started in 1907. The day off, returning to sleep in the first motorized vehicle for the firehouse on their day off. Surprisingly, department was added, which was a many of the men were married and had chief’s car. It would not be until May of families. With this schedule they were 1913 that the first motorized firefighting allowed to go home for a meal on a daily apparatus would arrive, and not without basis. controversy. The following quote from the Daily Northwestern puts the The department served the community resistance to change in perspective, well over the next twenty-five years, “Will irritate a great many people and going to a total of six fire stations by most of the fireman who haven’t any 1902. Over this period, the department time for the ‘Red Devil’ at all and wish added the “The Truck House” (on State way down in their hearts that it will Street) next to City Hall which housed prove a complete failure.” There was the “Hook and Ladder” - Number Five some credence to the argument, though and a “hose wagon”, Engine Seven. at the time streets were primarily dirt Station six, housing Engine Six, was and automotive technology was located at 10th and Ohio. These two new somewhat lacking and unreliable. engine companies were simply hose Despite this resistance, the momentum wagons with no pumping apparatus. The for change could not be stopped switch to hose wagons came with the City water works and hydrant system. In those days, the practice was to connect hose line for fire stream directly to the hydrants. woodworking industry, and finally World War II. This string of events put the department in need of many changes by 1946 and the era of the modern fire department began to appear. Leo Girens became the Fire Chief in 1945 and set the blue prints for change, which started with the establishment of fire prevention and fire training bureaus. All places of business and industry were now inspected to prevent fires and the personnel were trained to modern 1924 La France Pumper standards with the training officer receiving guidance from the Milwaukee The horse-drawn apparatus began to Fire Department (a relationship that slowly be replaced. Oshkosh was one of carries through to this day). Fire stations the last larger cities to hold onto horses were deteriorating and the old Brooklyn as long as possible. The last fire Number Four and Doe Number Three company to be pulled by horses was houses were closed. Number Four Number Six on Ohio Street and on moved to 11th and Nebraska and Number March 20, 1924 a motorized apparatus Three moved into the Six House on Ohio brought an end to the horse-drawn era of when Engine Six was changed over to a the department. ladder company. The workweek of firefighters was also an item changing in the teens and twenties as the schedule was reduced to one day on and four off. In 1922, pressed by a new national law, the workweek was reduced to 24 hours on and 24 hours off, which created the first two shifts of the department. Guiding the department into this period of change many years before that was Chief Robert Brauer, who served as Chief Engineer for 32 Station 4 11th and Nebraska years. Chief Brauer had started with the department all the way back to the Two-way radios were added for the first volunteer days as “torch boy”, leading time, allowing communications directly the response and lighting their way with to fire apparatus. The apparatus fleet was a handheld torch. majorly overhauled over the next six years, with replacement apparatus Over the next twenty years, several beginning to resemble what we have events brought progress and change to a today. Chief Girens tenure was cut short halt. Those events being the Great when he passed away at the age of 47, Depression, the decline of the bringing Chief Art Apel to the head position. Tragedy struck again as Chief with this relationship still in place today. Apel died from injuries sustained at a 1976 was to bring one of the biggest fire at the Badger Lumber Company on changes of all to the department.
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