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New York land developers Augusta and John
Kirby Allen were traveling up Buffalo Bayou
in 1836 searching for land to develop into a
city. The last stop of the steamboat was
Harrisburg where they tried to purchase some
land, but the deal fell through. So the
brothers continued upstream to Frosttown.
They noticed the land across the Bayou was a
perfect spot for their city, so they
purchased 6,000 acres, divided the land into
lots and began selling the land.
Some 1,000 people
occupied the new town by 1838. Log cabins
were going up as fast as trees could be
felled and hauled. Huge fires were set to
rid the land of underbrush and the trimmings
from the logs. Occasionally, sparks from the
fires ignited a cabin or temporary tent.
Everyone would quickly pitch in to help the
stricken neighbor. Their efforts were
usually not too successful. Augustus Allen
noticed the chaos during a fire and decided
to organize a bucket brigade. His native New
York had many successful bucket brigades. A
bucket brigade in Houston would not only
improve the firefighting but could enhance
the value of his remaining plots of land.
Protection Fire
Company No. 1
Augustus gathered
together several businessmen at the
Hedenberg & Vetteran Auction Mart on August
14, 1838 to discuss better fire protection
for the town. He convinced the businessmen
of a need for a bucket brigade, and they
formed Protection Fire Company No. 1. Its
motto was Semper Paratus (always
prepared). The fire company bought a hand
pumper in 1839, according to one reference;
however another reference said Protection
No. 1 did not get a pumper until December,
1859. (A force pump on a wagon frame showed
up in 1847 and was used as an auxiliary to
the bucket brigade.) The city fathers were
convinced to construct a fire house for
Protection No.1, which was built at the
corner of Fannin and Preston.
In 1848, the State
of Texas granted a charter to Protection
Fire Company No. 1, the first fire company
chartered by Texas.
Liberty Fire
Company No. 2
In 1852, a group of
prominent businessmen organized Liberty Fire
Company No. 2. The businessmen purchased a
Hunneman hand pumper, which they housed on
Franklin between Travis and Milam. The
pumper cost $2,000. One of the organizers of
the fire company was William M. Rice,
benefactor of Rice University.
[The firefighting
force after the organization of Liberty No.
2, according to a reference, consisted of
Liberty's pumper, the force pump mentioned
above, and several bucket brigades
until 1858.]
Hook & Ladder
Company No. 1
Hook & Ladder
Company No. 1 was organized in April, 1858,
by a group of the very wealthiest
businessmen. The truck company had rigid
bylaws. Applicants had to be recommended by
three of the members, and the morals of the
applicant had to be approved. The company
began with a homemade ladder truck housed in
a fire station on Congress in Market Square. |
