Houston Fire Museum

2403 Milam Street

Houston, Texas 77006

Phone: (713) 524-2526

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1900 - 1905

Fire Station No. 10 at 205 Chartres was rebuilt at the same location in 1900.

A fire destroyed the Merchants and Planters Oil Mill in 1900. At one point during the fire, firefighters were forced to flee from the fierce blaze and lost a thousand feet of hose left behind.

William W. Thomas William W. Thomas, a volunteer who is credited with organizing Washington No. 8 and securing the equipment, was elected to the Board of Aldermen in 1900 and became chairman of the Board's fire committee. Three steamers were purchased for the paid department while he was chairman. One of the steamers, assigned to Station No. 2, was named in his honor.

Jack Arto, another former volunteer firefighter, was named to replace Fire Chief Hussey in 1901.

In the same year, oil burners were installed for steamers to keep water in the boilers near boiling. This saved time getting water at the scene of a fire. Before, firefighters had to wait as long as ten minutes, before the cold water in the boiler was heated enough to produce steam for the pump.

On June 21, 1901, a fire destroyed 2,000 bales of cotton at the Inman Compress located at Brashear and Center Street. Three days later, fire consumed the city's huge Market House, which had been rebuilt after an 1876 fire destroyed the first Market House.

Another fire destroyed the Hutchins House later on October 19. All 300 guests escaped the fire or were rescued in the early morning fire. One guest was mad that someone had rescued his wife; he felt it was his duty to save her. During the fire, thieves looted the saloon of its liquor and cleaned out personal belongings of the guests who had fled the hotel. Because the thieves burglarized the hotel so efficiently, arson was suspected. A front-page editorial in the Houston Chronicle complained that "inadequate water pressure hampered efforts of firemen to control the flames." The five-story Hutchins House was one of the oldest hostelries in Texas.

Firefighters organized a union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor on March 5, 1902. Nearly every man in the department joined. Thomas H. Martin, captain of Fire Station No. 6, was elected president. (Martin had served as fire chief of the volunteer fire department from 1890 until 1894.) In its first year, the union started a loan assistance program for its members, and many members took out loans.

The new union was credited with persuading the aldermen to improve the pay scale to: $80 per month for captains of ladder trucks; $75 for captains of hose companies; $70 for drivers; $65 for chemical men and laddermen; and $60 per month for pipemen.

In 1903, Houston doubled its size in the first annexation. Galvestonians had been flocking to Houston to resettle after the 1900 hurricane destroyed the island. Two fire stations (No. 3 and No. 6) were rebuilt in the newly annexed areas. The city went from nine square miles to 16 square miles.

New Central Station On February 8, 1904, a new central fire station opened at Texas Avenue and San Jacinto in 1904. The old central station at San Jacinto and Prairie had been destroyed in a general alarm fire on February 8 by a fire that also destroyed three other buildings. The new two-story brick fire station included space for fire alarm and a repair shop. Cost to build the 10,000-square-foot station was $30,000.

Voters approved a change in the city charter on December 10, 1904, which abolished the ward system of government and established a commission form of government. The new city government had a mayor and four commissioners. One of the commissioners was over both the fire and police departments.

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The Houston Fire Museum, Inc. is a 501-C- 3 non-profit organization educating the community on fire and life safety and the history of the fire service. The Museum is supported by membership, gift shop sales and the generous contributions of foundations and corporations.