Medfield Fire - Rescue history
Courtesy
of Historian Richard DeSorgher
In the early Colonial Period of our history, due to the
fact that the first homes in Medfield had thatched roofs and on account of the
great danger from fire, by law, every household was required to provide a ladder
for his house or be fined. In the early years of Medfield’s history the town
was watched over by “watchmen” who circulated around the town to “watch”
for any danger or fires. The Watch and Ward Society was first founded in
Boston
in
1630 and officially organized in 1636. All young men age 16 and older were
required to take a turn on watch duty without pay. Their major duty was to watch
for fires.
Here in Medfield
and throughout
New
England
, men were chosen each year to “burn the woods” The
old Native-American practice was kept up for many years. The woods referred to
lay in the outermost portions of the town. The practice enabled the land to be
kept free of trees and provided pasturelands for the cattle. These burnt lands
were often called “herd-walks.” Three men were generally chosen, one from
each part of the town-north, south and west. The fires were not allowed to come
near buildings and for this reason the areas around the houses themselves soon
became surrounded with bushes and small trees. During the Indian attack on
Medfield, the Native-Americans would use these bushes and trees as a hiding
place before setting fire to the settler houses. In 1654 Peter Adams, John
Partridge and Isaac Chenery were chosen to burn the woods. Town records show
that this custom was still in practice in 1682.
By far the worst
fire ever to strike Medfield started in the early morning hours of
February 21, 1676
during what became known as the King Philip War. Medfield was attacked by
between 300-1000 Native Americans. The first fire broke forth from the house and
barn of Samuel Morse, who lived near the present intersection of
Main
and
Pound Streets. Flames soon roared through the Thomas Thurston homestead, located
on the site of the present middle school. Thurston suffered an additional grave
loss, for two of their seven children were mortally wounded during the raid,
Margaret, age 7 and Samuel age eighteen months. In this same area the Benjamin
Clark house was also burnt. His replacement house built in 1680 is the present
Peak House. The following homes were also burnt within a short time after
Morse’s house first went up in flames: the Samuel Bullen house, located near
the present corner of Philip and South Street; the James Allen house, located on
South Street near the Norfolk townline; the Robert Mason house located near the
present Green Street and the Nathaniel Whiting house, located near the present
corner of Pine and North Street. Thomas Wight lost his house and barn, located
on
Wights Lane
, now
Green
Street
, along with six cattle and his
horse. Down near Mill Brook, Henry Adams had only time to see his mill go up in
flames before he was struck in the neck by a bullet and fell dead in his
doorway. His two children escaped before his house was totally inflamed. Thomas
Mason and his two sons were killed and their home on
North
Street
, near the intersection with
Harding
Street
was torched. The John Partridge
homestead across the street from Mason’s was also burnt. Smoke billowed from
the Castle Hill area of
North Street
near
the present Hunt Club as the Samson Frairy, Samuel Wight, John Fisher, Joseph
Warren and Joseph Allen homesteads all went up
in flames. The
Bridge Street
section was totally destroyed. It was here that the Indians left a most severe
mark, leaving all ten homesteads in ashes. Also to go up in flames was the
Gershom Wheelock home, located near the corner of
Main
and
Causeway Streets and the Joseph
Bullard house, located off
West Main Street
. On
the west bank of the
Charles River
, then
Medfield, now Millis, the Indians set fire to the Jonathan Adams house along
with the William Allen and Peter Calley homesteads. The three bridges crossing
the
Charles River
were also burnt. In Medfield
itself, 32 houses, besides barns, out buildings and two mills were burnt. About
the same number of houses remained standing.. The loss sustained by the
inhabitants amounted to two thousands pounds. It took years for the town to
fully recover. Seventeen settlers including three
Boston
based
soldiers and an unknown number of Native-Americans
were killed. This was indeed the greatest fire loss ever experienced by
the Town of
Medfield
.
We do not see any
attempt at town-wide fire coverage until the 1820’s. That is when the town
obtained the first fire engine. We have been unable to determine the exact date
of that first engine. The records
simply say that the engine was obtained several years prior to 1832. The engine
was kept inWoodward’s barn, which was located, where the United Church of
Christ now stands. A lean-to was actually attached to the barn and this served
as the engine house. With the fist engine came the first engine company. This
would, in my belief, put the date of the start of the Medfield Fire Department
in the 1820’s, with the arrival of that first engine.
In 1832 voters at Town Meeting appropriated $100 to
build an actual engine house but after passing, the vote was reconsidered and
then rescinded at the next town meeting and so the fire engine remained in
Woodward’s barn.
In 1834 money for an actual engine house was again brought up
at town meeting. This time, residents voted $100 to build an engine house. It
was located near the
Unitarian
Church
where
the Unitarian parsonage (the U-House) now stands.
In 1835 town meeting voted “that the old fire engine be
repaired at the expense of the town.” This engine would serve the town until
1853.
In 1853 a new Hunneman fire engine, the town’s second one,
was purchased at the expense of $600 and a new engine company was formed.
The following year a new two story engine house was built on
the north corner of
North
Street
and
Janes
Avenue
, next to the hat factory. Total
cost was $600. It contained a meeting room for the Engine Company on the second
floor. There were 26 firefighters in the Engine Company in 1854.For pay; the
town cancelled the poll tax payment of $1.50 a year for all members of the
Engine Company.
In 1859 the town adopted its first by-laws for the town and
it included a section on the Engine Company; it read as follows:
·
There shall be an engine company which shall have not
exceeding 45 members, including officers—such members to be appointed by and
to be removed at the pleasure of the selectmen; and no person who is less than
20 years of age shall, be appointed; or for a less time than one year
·
The company shall have
a foreman and two assistant foremen and a clerk, who shall all be chosen by the
company annually at a meeting to be held in May
·
It shall be the duty of the foreman to see that the
engine and apparatus and engine house are all kept neat , clean and in order for
immediate use, and to preserve order and discipline at all times in the company.
·
It shall be the duty of the clerk to keep a record of
the names of all the officers and members of the company, specifying the times
of appointment, discharge and the absences of each person from all fires in this
town, and from the monthly meetings provided for
in the fifth section, this book to be always subject
to the inspection of the selectmen and fire-wards
·
The company shall perform all the duties by law
required to be performed by engine men and shall use their utmost endeavors in
as orderly and quiet a manner as possible to extinguish all fires that may break
out in this town; and once a month the company shall meet for the purpose of
examining the condition of the engine and apparatus and see that the same is in
good repair and ready for use
·
The officers and members shall receive annually from
the town the amount assessed as a poll tax for state, county or town purposes,
or for either.
In 1872 the
engine house was sold and a new engine house was fitted up under the new town
hall, which was first built and opened in 1872. Money for the building of our
first town hall was given to the town by George Chenery. In his will he left
over $26,000 to the town for the erection of a town hall. It was opened and
dedicated on
September 10, 1872
.
Less
than two years later the town hall burnt down, including the destruction of the
fire engine and the area used as the engine house. The building was thoroughly
on fire when the alarm was given and the citizens and the Engine Company were
thus compelled to stand and see the beautiful edifice fall into a heap of ruins,
powerless to do anything to save it. In a meeting called just weeks after the
burning, it was voted to rebuild the town hall. A building committee was
appointed, with instructions not to exceed $20,000. A portion of the tower at
the southwest corner was left standing and was utilized by being incorporated
into the new structure. The new town hall was rededicated on
November 2, 1874
. A
new fire engine and apparatus were then purchased at the cost of $1,750 That is
the engine now under control of the town. A
new engine house was again fitted up in the basement of town hall.
In 1875 the
largest fire in town was the burning of DD Curtis & Company boarding house.
It was quickly rebuilt-
1876 was the
year, according to William Tilden’s History of Medfield, that Medfield was
visited by the fire fiend. First the
South
School
,
located near the intersection of High and South Streets, burnt. It was rebuilt
that same year at the cost of $1,546
-
Then the Orthodox Congregational church, with all its
contents and the new chapel located near the church were totally destroyed by
fire. Finally the Straw shop of DD Curtis was burnt to the ground. The straw
shop at the time was located in the old Townsend House, which was located across
the street from where we are sitting. It had been built in the late 1700’s by
Gregory Townsend. Despite heroic
efforts by the Engine Company, the flames swept steadily on till the buildings
were burnt to the ground. A new and spacious hat factory was then rebuilt- that
is the present building across the street from us on North Street now vacated by
Bayer industries and the future home of the Monrose School
In 1877 a hook
and ladder truck was purchased and equipped, at the cost of $300 and a second
company was formed known as the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company #1 This
company included: Edmund Bullard, Ellery Franks, Charles Baker, Harris Havener,
George Pettis, William Weiker, William Adams, George Harris, William Harding,
Roswell Miller, Albion Gilbert, Dennis Kennedy, W.D Cripps and Neal McGrory. The
first annual Firemen’s Ball also took place. Music was by the 9-piece
Brigham’s Orchestra of Marlboro
1879 saw the
purchase of two 40-gallon chemical fire extinguishers that were procured for the
use of the town at the cost of $90. Each member of the Engine Company and each
member of the hook and ladder company received $7 annually for the years service
to the town. Total cost in the town budget was $360. This was the first time
firefighters were paid directly by the town. Previous to this, firemen had only
received the amount of their poll tax paid for.
1880- The town
voted to pay the firemen again $7 and the engineers- $12
1885-Population
of the town was 1,594 and there were 288 dwelling houses, all made of wood
1886- Total Fire
Department budget approved at town meeting was $800
In 1887, in
cooperation with the Excelsior Straw Works on North Street, the fire department
was able to use the steam pump at the hat factory and attaching hose to the
hydrant (which is still located in the front yard of the building along North
Street), they were now able to throw a stream of water upon the roof of the hat
factory as well as the churches and businesses in the center of town. Piping was
then installed and three hydrants were located in the center, giving the town
fire protection in the village area.
In 1887 the house and stable of the
late Albert Wiley on
East
Main Street
was entirely destroyed by fire.
Owing to the delay in getting the men together and the break down of the hook
and ladder truck, the fire department was unable to render any service. It is
said insurance covered the full value. The poor farm or almshouse on
West
Street
, near
Bridge
Street
burned to the ground. The fire
originated from a defect in the chimney. At a Special Town Meeting on
December 22, 1887
, it
was voted to rebuild the Almshouse and that $1000, in addition to the insurance
be granted. The house was originally built about 1806 by Beriah Brastow.
In 1889 the fire department recommended building two
reservoirs, one on North Street and one on Pleasant Street for use of fighting
fires. Pipes running from the Excelsior Straw Works filled both reservoirs.
These reservoirs would give the town a greater central water supply.
Ords Block, formerly Wills Hardware and now occupied by
Master’s Touch, was totally destroyed by fire. James Ord had one of the
largest stocks of stove, furniture and crockery in the area. Upwards of $600
worth of stock was destroyed. The building itself was estimated at $3,500 The
general feeling was that the fire started from the coal stove on the first
floor. Ord’s Block was first
erected in the fall of 1882. T.C. Wood & Company selling dry goods, boots
and shoes was the first floor tenant. In the winter of 1883-84 the upper floor
was used as an indoor skating rink
The total fire
department budget in 1891 was $800. The water reservoir request received town
meeting approval and were built on
Pleasant Street
with
16,000-gallon capacity, on
North Street
with
a 9,000-gallon capacity and on
Adams
Street
also with a 9,000-gallon capacity.
The1892 fire
department log reads as follows:
·
February 28- fire in Blood Brothers Grain Store along
the RR tracks on
Park Street
;
damage was small- cause: overheated stove
·
April 10- woods fire north of
Main
Street
; cause-unknown
·
April 17- woods fire between
Main
Street
and
Mt.
Nebo
;
cause- unknown
·
April 19- woods fire near West and West Mill Streets;
cause-fire escaped from man burning brush
·
September 3- William Able’s house on
North
Street
next to the
Unitarian
Church
—partly
burned: cause-children playing with matches
·
William Weiker’s house corner
Main
and
Bridge
Street
; little damage
In 1893, the Moses Clark Bonnet Wire Factory, erected in 1873
on
Frairy
Street
near
Dale
Street
was struck by lightning and burned
to the ground. After the firemen tried for several minutes to put out the fire,
the well water supply failed. A line of hose was then run 1,500 feet from the
hydrant at the straw-hat factory on North Street, enabling the house next door
to be saved. Loss exceeded $18,000 More than 280 shades of silk, thousands of
pounds of yarn and many tons of wire were destroyed.
Marshall
later
erected a much larger factory on the same location, which would also burn down
in 1911
The1894 Town Meeting voted additional funds to put the hook
and ladder truck into a first-class condition. Four feet were added to the truck
to accommodate the ladders.
Fire Department log of 1894 reads as follows:
·
April 29- woods fire on land near
158
North Street
( between
Pine
St.
and
Harding Streets; cause- unknown
·
May 19-Centre Depot Train Station on
Park
Street
burnt to the ground; cause-struck
by lightning, total loss
·
August 18- fire in Rocky Woods; cause fire escaped from
man burning brush; fifty acres of woods burnt
·
September 29-haaystack fire in rear of
27
Pound Street
; cause children playing with
matches
·
November 4-haystack fire at Joseph Allen’s barn on
North
Street
In1895 the fire department budget was increased to $1000
The Fire Department Log of 1895 listed the following:
·
April 26- fire at JA Fitts house (site of today Mobil
gas station) minor damage; cause lighted match
·
April 26- forest fire at Rocky Woods; cause- unknown
·
September 11- Fire at Henry Parker’s house on
Main
Street
, damage minor; cause chimney fire
·
December 19- Charles Bruce’s slaughter house (North
and Winter Streets) burnt tot he ground; total loss
·
December 29-fire at the coal shed of Curtis box mill on
Park Street
,
Damage minor
Samuel Mitchell was elected foreman of the Medfield Engine
Company
1896 saw a major fire at Noon Hill: Newspaper accounts said:
A fire left burning at a camp along the
Charles
River
near Dwight’s Bridge resulted in over 200 acres of woodland
being burnt. Hundreds of cords of wood, piled up ready for market, were
destroyed along with two houses. In a strong gale the flames were often more
than 40 feet high. The fire roared through the pines like a furnace. Loss was
estimated at $2,000. But for the fact that the wind died out, the whole of Noon
Hill would have been burnt over. It was one of the worst fires in the history of
the town. Great credit was due the fire department and the town citizens who
responded without want of pay
Also in 1896, a
fire in Rocky Woods on April 12 burned over 45 acres of woodland.
In 1897 two-year old Edwin Frost was burned to death at his
home when a kerosene lamp overturned. He died at the
Framingham
Hospital
The 1898 Fire Department Log reads:
·
February 3 fire in Monks Block in the center of town;
cause spontaneous combustion- damage small
·
March 23- Fire at the Medfield Inn next to the hat
factory on
North Street
and
opposite
Frairy Street
;
damage large, loss estimated at $5,000; cause-bursting of lamp
·
April 10-fire at Willard Hardwood storehouse; loss
total
·
July 4- fire in barn of John Mason on
South
Street
, total loss; cause-lightning
·
July 21- fire at Second Congregational Church; cause-
lightning: damage: lightning tore away the entire north side of the spire-
damage from the fire itself was small; large barn near the Junction off Adams
Street was also hit by lightning and burned to the ground; total loss
·
July 30- fire in barn of Hamlet Wight n
200
North Street
; damage small- cause: struck by
lightning
·
September 20-fire in William Weiker’s barn on
Main
and
Bridge Streets, total loss, cause overturned lantern
The 1899 Town Meeting increased the pay for firemen to $12
per year plus poll tax. In addition they were paid 25 cents per hour extra while
fighting fires.
Major fires of the year burned to the ground the Newell House
on
Bridge
Street
, the cider and saw mill owned by
William Weiker off
Bridge Street
and
the house of Mrs. Albert Gay. At the house of Ester Strang on High Street,
family nurse Delia Kennedy was burned to death and the house was burned to the
ground. A thorough investigation was unable to put blame on anyone.
In 1900 the Fire Department budget was increased to $1,200
per year
The house of
Charles Warner on
27
Pound Street
was totally destroyed by fire that
year.
In 1904 both fire companies elected officers:
Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company:
·
Foreman-Fred Laverty
·
First Assistant-John Kennedy
·
Second Assistant- Alphonso Allen
·
Clerk- Michael
Griffin
·
Treasurer- Timothy Kennedy
Medfield Engine Company #1
·
Foreman- Martin Rourke
·
First Assistant- George Mills
·
Second Assistant- Forrest Wilson
·
Clerk- Herbert
Preston
·
Treasurer- James Wilkins
In 1905 a fire escape was added to the town hall
*In
one of the worst fires of 1906, the Blood Brothers Grain Store on Park
Street burned to the ground, resulting in a total loss, estimated at $5,000, of
which $3,000 was stock. Rebuilding began immediately
·
The poultry house of Robert Hardy was totally destroyed
by fire. It contained 500 fowls and chickens, none of which were saved. All were
burnt alive. A lamp in the brooder was believed to have been the cause of the
fire
In1907 selectmen appointed J. Allan Cole, Waldo Kingsbury and
Fred Laverty engineers to the fire department. All three called for a more
modern means of fighting fires and requested the town purchase a gasoline fire
engine. Waldo Kingsbury of the department also voiced strong concern over the
serious lack of available water needed to fight fires
In 1908, at the recommendation of the fire department, the
town voted to build a forth reservoir for fire protection. The reservoir was
located at the corner of South and Pound Streets. It was kept full by
neighboring wells
·
A written permit was now required to burn rubbish on
your own premises. The permit had to be obtained from forest fire warden Waldo
Kingsbury
·
Edwin White, who worked at the state hospital lost his
nine-year old daughter Laura and nine-month old son
Clyde
, when
they were burned to death by a fire at their home on the corner of South and Oak
Streets. The building itself was totally destroyed. At one time it was part of
the ancient and famous James Clark Tavern, which was located at the current site
of town hall. The cause of the fire was believed to be an open draft on the
kitchen stove
·
Medfield purchased its first gasoline fire engine at
the cost of $2,000. The fire engine had powerful pumps and was fitted with an
engine such as used in automobiles. It pumped 300 gallons of water a minute
through each of two streams and could throw the water 125 feet. The engine did
not travel under its own power but was drawn by horses.
·
With the purchase of the new gasoline fire engine, the
old fire engine company of 40 men disbanded and a new company of 12 men had
charge over the new gasoline engine
·
Fire escapes were added to the
Ralph
Wheelock
School
on
Pleasant
Street
. Total enrollment at the school was
288
1909 saw the Joseph Breck house and barn on
Hospital Road
,
occupied by James Tubridy and family, destroyed by fire. The Breck House built
in 1780 was once considered the best estate in town. At the time of the fire, it
had fallen into disrepair.
One of the worst
fires in many many years and one of the most suspicious took place when the
American Steam Packing Company on
North Street
near
the
Dover
town
line burned to the ground. Telephone lines had been cut, preventing the sending
of an alarm. Loss was reported more than $10,000. At the time of the fire, 10
men were employed by the packing company. The building was completely rebuilt
and within three weeks a new 150-foot by 25 foot three story plant was complete.
Unbeknownst to the fire department, the
Selectmen used the town fire whistle on New Year’s Eve
to blow in the New Year. Fire fighters responded to the whistle in full
ranks including the horses only to find out that there was no fire. As the
newspaper article says” madder set of men it would be hard to find when they
discovered the real cause of the alarm. They are entitled to the usual pay and I
trust that it will be granted by the selectmen without question, else they may
fail to respond to future alarms when really needed.”
-
For the first time I n 1910 fire drills began to be
practiced in the schools, taking place once a month
-
A new horse-drawn hose wagon was purchased in 1910. It
was built by Cushmen and Baker carriage makers, located along Baker’s Pond
In 1911 Town
Meeting voted to build a fifth water reservoir for fire protection. It was
located near the corner of
Main
and
Brook Streets. Also in 1911 the Old Marshall Wire Factory on
Frairy
Street
near
Dale
Street
was totally destroyed by fire.
The fire department appropriation
for 1912 was increased to $1,600
-
A telephone was installed in the engine room of the EV
Mitchell Straw Hat Company to be used by the town exclusively for fire alarms. A
whistle for the fire alarm was then located on the hat factory. It would
stay there until 1930 when it was installed above town hall. Before this time
the Unitarian and
Baptist
Church
bells
had been used for sounding fires. ( In 1954 the alarm system was removed from
the telephone company office and moved to the Police Station at the Town Hall
and the alarm was set up strictly for the 13 blows for the civil defense.
A new system was installed at the state hospital in1954 which handled our
fires. In 1972 that system was removed from the state hospital and placed in the
police station at town hall and in 1977 it was moved to the present police
station on
North
Street
.
-
The Dedham Transcript reported in 1912 that a band of
gypsies had arrived in town and shortly thereafter losses of money and hens were
reported. The fire department was called out by the selectmen and drove the
gypsies out of town.
-
A hose laying contest with area fire departments was
held in Medfield sponsored by the Gasoline Engine Company. Cash prizes
of $5, $10, and $15 were awarded. The fastest time was posted by Millis
at 11.1 seconds followed by Wrentham at 11.2 and
Attleboro
at
12.4 A dance followed the contest with Allan Kingsbury acting as floor director
In 1913 an
all-night electric light for the use of the fire department was placed in the
rear of town hall where the fire station was located.
-The fire alarm was now being sounded directly by the telephone operators
In 1913 fire totally destroyed the 2 ½ story framed house on
Hospital Road
owned
by H.B. Macomber. The fire started in the ell of the house over the kitchen. The
fire department was greatly hampered in its work by the fire apparatus sinking
into soft ground. The house was built about 1873. Loss was estimated at $5,000.
Firemen were able to save the stable and most of the house furniture
In 1914 the fire
department responded to a call for help by the Town of
Dover
for a
major fire, which destroyed the Hodgson Portable House Factory. Medfield’s
gasoline engine responded, along with Engine Company No. 1 with seven pairs of
horses and thirty men. The firemen were greatly delayed by the deep mud through
which the heavy apparatus had to be dragged.
In 1915 the
following officers were elected
Medfield
Hook and Ladder Company #1
·
Foreman- Charles Brooks
·
1st assistant- Leon Kennett
·
2nd
Assistant-
Forest
Parker
·
Clerk- Michael
Griffin
Medfield
Engine Company #1
·
Foreman- Allan Kingsbury
·
Assistant Foreman- Martin Rourke
·
Clerk- William Grant
The Hotel Gerald on
West
Mill Street
near the Junction was totally
destroyed by fire. Loss was estimated at $2,500.
The building had been unoccupied for several months
-
Fire of unknown origin caused several hundred dollars
worth of damage to the rear of the shops owned by Col. Edwin V Mitchell on
North
Street
and occupied by Roy E Kerr Company,
Plumbers and Harry Zeitler, tailor. Prompt work by the fire department with the
new 40-gallon chemical engine prevented serious loss
-
A severe woods and brush fire, which started near
Green
Street
burned over 300 acres, spreading to
the Child Estate on
Main Street
and
as far as David Meaney’s house on
East
Main Street
, opposite the current Sunoco gas
station area. Fire fighters responded at
9:30
in
the morning and fought the fire, with assistance from
Dover
until
6 PM
that evening
During this time period the fire department was still using
horse drawn equipment. The apparatus were stored in the fire station located
underneath town hall. The horses were kept in the Willard Harwood Stable , where
CVS is today. During a fire, the horses would have to be brought on the run from
the stable, down
Main
Street
, through the square and down the
hill on
Janes Avenue
to
the yard in the back of Town Hall. The horses would then be attached to the
apparatus and driven to the fire with bells clanging.
Water for fighting the fires was purchased from the Medfield Water
Company and was stored in reservoirs or large cisterns located under the streets
in various sections of the downtown area. The town would not have its own
municipal water system until 1921
In 1917 the house and barn of Horace Allen on
Curve Street
was
totally destroyed by fire of unknown cause. Total loss was $3,000 The building
had just been built the year before
In 1918 the house of Stephen Sprague on
Nebo Street
was
totally destroyed by fire. This marked the second time a home on that spot had
burned within a few years.
-At a special town meeting in 1919,
$5,500 was voted to purchase the fire department a motor apparatus. The town
report gives the following report:
After testing out several makes of trucks we decided to purchase two
Republican chassis. A one ton we had equipped by the OJ Childs Company of Utica,
NY with two 35-gallon chemical tanks, ladders, extinguishers, etc. ; a 1 ½ ton
chassis we had equipped in town by Albert Dean with steel body for hose,
brackets for ladders, etc. Both pieces we had painted in town by Fred Smith. The
fire of August 26 at the Medfield Junction was the first alarm the chemical
truck responded to and was on the job in 8 minutes after the alarm was struck.
We strongly recommend the purchase of an auto pump this year. We were obliged to
pay out over $225 in repairs on the old pump this year against our better judgment,
in order to keep it going until we can get something better. We need 500 more
feet of hose. We recommend a budget of $1,200 this year,
if we get the new pump. If we keep the old pump with liability of expense
of repairs we shall submit a budget of $1800.
With the purchase of the new
motorized apparatus the Medfield Hook and Ladder Company went out of existence
after 42 years. The company was merged into the existing Engine Company and it
has been that way ever since.
Also in 1919 due to the striking
telephone operators, the Medfield telephone exchange closed. Because Medfield
had no fire alarm system but had depended on the telephone for reports and
locations of fires, local officials feared the town was seriously handicapped in
regard to its fire protection
In1920 the title of “ chief” of
the fire department was used for the first time
. With Allen Kingsbury named our first fire “chief”
and Lawrence Dewar the first assistant chief
1921 saw the worst fire in a century
. With the exception of the time when half of Medfield was burnt during the King
Philip War in 1676, one of the greatest fires ever to strike the town took place
some 84 years ago in 1921. At the time it was called the “worst fire in a
century” and it left behind a blackened swath two miles wide by two miles long
across the town. It was believed to have been started by sparks from a
locomotive near the former
Medfield
State
Hospital
.
Fires started by sparks from locomotives were a common cause of fires that
plagued Medfield for many years and kept busy the town’s fire department.
Once the 1921 fire began in the area
of the train tracks across from the former hospital in the north end of town, it
gained strength with greater and greater intensity.
Added to the fact that there were incredibly strong winds, a “perfect
storm” scenario was created. The high winds caused large clumps of burning
leaves to blow high into the air and scattered the flames in all directions.
Once the fire had struck into the pine timber, there was no stopping it. The
flames, taking on a life of their own, roared south and east across Adams and
Harding Streets. As the housing developments of today were not yet built most of
the town and the area impacted were open fields, brush or woodland. The flames,
coming across
Adams
Street
where the
Memorial
School
is
today took the large two-story house, barn and outbuildings on
North
Street
owned by George Ellis along with
all their contents. The fire was being battled by the Medfield Fire Department
but was now out of control due to the fierce winds. Alarms went out for
assistance from the Millis,
Dover
,
Walpole
and
Dedham Fire Departments. All five-town departments began to fight the blaze as
it crossed over North Streets and headed up Pine and Green Streets, threatening
Medfield Center and the homes along Summer Street. Meanwhile emergency crews at
the State Hospital continued to battle the flames which were now encroaching the
hospital property, putting fright into the over 2000 patients living there. Smoke was reported so dense that
firemen were unable to get near enough to fight the fire. Town residents began
responding to assist the firefighters. In response to Medfield’s call for help
and the fear that the flames would sweep through the buildings in
Medfield
Center
, a
special train was sent by the New Haven Railroad with 200 men to assist in
fighting the now out-of-control blaze. The fire swept across the area that is
today
Lowell
Mason Road
and all the area of
Pine Needle Park. It was here, in the tall pines, that the wind swept
flames could be seen for miles. Fire fighters decided to make a stand all along
Hartford
and
Main
Street
as the fire soon engulfed all the
land along the present Hatters Hill and
Pederzini
Drive
area and entered into the even more
timberland of Rocky Woods. Firefighters and volunteers, now in the hundreds,
mounted a last ditch defense along
Hartford
Street
and
Main
Street
, with the hope they could stop the
inferno from crossing the street. If not, there would be no controlling it, as
it would race into
Dover
and
Walpole
. For
seven long hours the firefighters and volunteers
fought the flames. Their defense along
Hartford
and
Main Streets held. But in its wake more than 2,500 acres of field, brush and
timberlands were destroyed.
In today’s map, the area destroyed
would have included Adams Street, West Mill Street, West Street, Pine Street,
North Street, Dale Street, Lowell Mason Road, Meade Avenue, Castle Avenue, Johns
Avenue, Remsen Avenue, Summer Street, Pine Street, Green Street, Brook Street,
Earle Kerr Road, Newport Lane, Kenney Road, all of the streets and homes in Pine
Needle Park, all of the Hawthorne Estates, all of the Overfield Estates off Pine
Street, Winter Street, Maplewood Road, Scott Road, Cedar Lane, Spruce Way, all
of the Hatters Hill Road area and all the Pederzini Drive area.
In 1922 Samuel Mitchell replaced Allen Kingsbury as Chief of
the fire department, Fire Department budget reached $2000. Town Meeting also
voted the sum of $4,200 for the purchase of a Howe Reo 350-gallon motor pumping
fire engine. Firemen’s pay was now $12 per year and one dollar for the first
hour fighting a fire and 75 cents per hour for each additional hour of fire work.
In 1923Arson was believed to have been the cause of two major
fires; Bertram Smith of South Street had his barn full of hay, carriage house,
hen house and out buildings destroyed. Benjamin Kimball, also of
South Street
, near
Rocky
Lane
had his barn with over 50 tons of
hay, farming tools, eight cattle and two horses destroyed by the flames
. The greatest fire in 1923, however,
was the burning of town hall, For the second time in 50 years the town hall
burned. The fire occurred early in the morning of January 17 during bitter cold
weather. When the alarm came into the fire station, located in the lower level
of town hall, it was reported that the dispatcher asked “Where is the fire”
to which the operator responded “over your head.”
The entire inside of the building
was gutted, leaving only a partial shell standing. Blankets of snow on the
nearby buildings kept the fire from spreading. Hot embers were reported to have
fallen up to two miles away. A defective chimney was thought to have been the
cause. A fireproof cement vault saved many of the town records. Many other
records, not in the safe, were destroyed. While the fire apparatus was able to
be saved and was used to help fight the fire, the building itself was a total
loss. Estimate loss was put at
$50,000 All town departments, the American Legion, and the Red Cross suffered
losses and had to be relocated. Because of the high insurance rates, the town
was protected to the extent of only $28,000. The post office was moved into the
central RR Station on
Park Street
. The
fire department and apparatus were moved into the Medfield Garage and Dewar’s
Garage until the new town hall was completed later that fall. It then returned
to it location in the basement level of town hall. Where it would stay until the
North Street Station was built in 1961.
In 1924 Allen Kingsbury was again
appointed chief. He reported the following in his end-of-the-year report:
We have had 75 fires this year, 43
alarm, 32 still, 4 in buildings, 2 oil stoves, I motor
vehicle, 1 at Medfield State
Hospital, 53 grass and wood fires
Kingsbury urged townspeople to “call the fire
department when a fire first starts-
it will save time and property ----Also call in case of accidents or
drowning—we are always willing to help. We have now equipped the apparatus
with electric lights, which makes it safer for the public and for us, especially
during the nighttime hours. Land has been given for the bu8ildinig of a new
water supply reservoir on Spring Street. We have no special alarm and I do not
think it advisable, as it only hampers the firefighters having a crowd and
automobiles around. We call attention to the fact that fire apparatus responding
to a fire has the right of way on streets. Any one cutting in on it not only
endangers the firemen’s lives but their own and makes themselves liable to
fines.
The
State
Hospital
now
has a hydrant near the entrance to the grounds for use for protection in that
area and the American Brick Company
has just installed one at their plant which we can use when needed.
Fire of
undetermined origin completely destroyed the laundry building at
Medfield
State
Hospital
resulting in a loss of $70,000, including $10,000 in clothing
By 1925 the fire department budget
reached $3,000
The Twin Ash Farm
on
North
Street
was partially destroyed by fire
that year as the Medfield and
Dover
firefighters laid a line of hose from the pond at the American Steam Packing
Company more than ½ mile away which provided water to fight the fire.
In 1928 the department’s apparatus
consisted of one motor chemical truck, one motor hose truck, one motor Reo pump
and one horse-drawn pump
1929 a Seagrave 600-gallon pump
engine was bought at the cost of $8,000
On
April 29, 1932
, a fire in Rocky Woods burned a
total of 580 acres, costing the town $714.65 to extinguish. Help was called from
the departments of
Dover
,
Millis,
Walpole
,
Westwood,
Norwood
,
Foxboro,
Needham
,
Wellesley
and
Natick
to
combat the blaze.
Throughout this time period Allan A
Kingsbury and Edgar W Allen served as the Board
of Fire Engineers.
In 1933 the Ford Forest Fire truck
was purchased, replacing the 15-year-old chemical truck.
In 1934 several
water holes were constructed in remote parts of the town. These provided useful
when fires occurred in that vicinity. The fire chief’s Club of Massachusetts
adopted a plan to provide fundamental training to as many of the firemen in the
state as possible. The plan was particularly designed to reach the small towns
where volunteer firemen operate without the benefit of local drill towers. Four
Medfield firemen completed the course of instruction given at the training
school in
Brookline
.
In 1936 the fire
department gave the hose truck to the moth department, where it was put to good
use. This left the Seagram pump, the Reo pump and the Ford Forest Fire Truck.
In 1940, owing to
the unsafe condition of the Reo pump was discontinued. It was replaced in 1941
with a new fire truck
