USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 55
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114
The police force of the city was organized in March, 1866, and consisted of four men. In March, 1868, the council concluded that " the wearing of some uniform dress by members of the police would give very gen- eral satisfaction," and the policemen were directed to provide themselves with “ dark blue, single-breasted coats, trimmed in dark buttons, with pants of the same material, and caps with brass plate in front marked with the words ' city police,' said suits to be worn when the policemen are on duty."
The following year the force consisted of eighteen men, three for each ward and elected by the council. Maurice Sullivan was captain and Rodney Dutcher, lieuten- ant. The former resigned soon afterwards and Lieutenant Dutcher was promoted to the vacant position and A. P. Sanders elected lieutenant. In December, 1870, the city marshal recommended a reduction of the force, by the discharge of six men and the lieutenant, which recommendation was adopted by the council, an ordinance to that effect being passed January 31, 1871. Of the twelve men then constituting the force, ten were assigned to night duty and two to day service.
October 9, 1871, Mayor Caldwell sent to the council a message calling attention " to the probability of the personal property of our citizens being without the protection of insurance, in consequence of the unprece- dented conflagration now raging in Chicago, involving the destruction of nearly the en- tire city, bankrupting, as it doubtless will, all the insurance companies of the city." As a measure of present safety, he recom-
mended that the city marshal be instructed to employ a special police of night watch- men " to serve until the insurance of our people can be examined and re-adjusted, say ten days, or two weeks." The recom- mendation was adopted and a night force of twelve men appointed to serve two weeks.
In June, 1874, the office of captain of po- lice was abolished and the force put under direct control of the city marshal, and so re- mained until 1887, when a law was passed by the legislature, creating a board of fire and police commissioners; early in May of that year Governor Thayer appointed as such board, L. M. Bennett, Christian Hartman, George I. Gilbert and Iloward B. Smith, the mayor serving as a member ex-oflicio. Messrs. Bennett and Hartman were ap- pointed for four years, and Messrs. Gilbert and Smith for two years, but were re- appointed for four years in May, 1889.
The members of the board filed their oaths of office on the 10th day of May, met for the first time on the 11th, and on the 16th day of May adopted "rules and regulations governing the appointment, pro- motion, removal, trial and discipline of officers and men of the police department of Omaha" and filed the same with the city clerk on that day. On the 19th the board met to appoint a chief of police. There was quite a number of applicants for the position, but Webber S. Scavey was chosen.
Thus far there had been no conflict between the city council and the commission; but. immediately upon the appointment of Chief . Seavey, a serious difficulty began. May 21st, Chief Seavey filed a bond in the sum of ten
368
369
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
thousand dollars with the board, although there was no ordinance providing for such a bond, and although the act creating the com- mission had not provided for a bond. The bond was approved on that date by the board and was afterwards filed with the council. On the 25th of May, Chief of Po- lice Seavey entered upon the duties of his office, ex-Marshal Cummings vacating. May 28th, the board appointed J. J. Galligan chief of the fire department.
On the 7th day of June, the majority of the committee on judiciary of the city coun- cil submitted the following report: "The judiciary committee, to whom was referred the pretended official bond of one Seavey, together with the report from the police committee, have had the same under consid- eration and report thereon as follows:
"First. That the board of fire and police commissioners, without the necessary rules and regulations to be prescribed by ordi- nance, have no authority to make any such appointment; and, as the ordinance to pre- scribe rules is under consideration by the council and has not passed, the pretended appointment is premature and uncalled for. " Second. That no authority exists at the present time for the presentation of the pre- tended bond to the city council, and the same is not in form prescribed by any law now in existence. For these reasons we recommend that the pretended bond be re- jected." This report was signed by I. S. Hascall, M. Lee and Leavitt Burnham; the minority of the committee recommended that the bond be accepted.
On June 14th, the city attorney gave an opinion in which he substantially approved the action taken by the board. On the 15th, the city council passed an ordinance requir- ing each commissioner to give a bond in the sum of five thousand dollars, which was · done. The bonds of Commissioners Bennett and IIartman were approved by the council August 9, 1887, but the bonds of Commis- sioners Gilbert and Smith were rejected, for
tlie reason that the names of the sureties who had signed the bonds, respectively, did not also appear in the body of those instru- ments as well. Therefore Gilbert and Smith filed new bonds, and presented them to the city council August 30th, which bonds the city council neglected either to approve or disapprove.
June 28th, the board appointed all the members of the fire department to the posi- tions they had held before the existence of the board, and July 26th the board met for the purpose of examining applicants for po- sitions on the police force, among whom were all the members of the old force, and July 28th appointed forty-two men. part of whom had been on the old force and part of whom were new men. July 29th, the board notified fourteen of the old members of the force that their services were no longer needed.
The city council had, from the first, re- fused to recognize Chief Seavey in his of- ficial capacity and had refused to pay him. The council now refused to recognize or to pay any of the appointees of the board who had not previously been on the force. The position taken by the board was, that the rules and regulations adopted by them would not have the force and effect of ordi- nances, unless approved by the city council. but would still have the force of rules and regulations which could, at any time, be re- pealed or modified by the board itself.
On the 1st of October, 1887, the board passed the following:
" WHEREAS, There is a dispute between the city council of the City of Omaha and the board of fire and police commissioners as to the duties and power of this board, and
" WHEREAS, This board is advised by its counsel that it has not the power to bring such a suit in the supreme court as will promptly and finally settle the relative powers and duties of this board and of the city council, and
" WHEREAS, the city council can do so; therefore
" Resolved, That the board respectfully
370
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
requests the city council to instruct the city attorney to request the attorney general of the State of Nebraska to bring an action to test the title of Webber S. Seavey, chief of police.
" WHEREAS, This board did, on the 30th day of August, 1887, approve the pay roll of the members of the police department for the month of August, 1887, and transmit the same to the council through the comp- troller, and
" WHEREAS, The city council has refused to pay the salaries of certain of said police officers, due for the month of August, and
" WHEREAS, Some of said officers and their families are suffering for the necessities of life; and
" WHEREAS, Said men have faithfully served the city, and have given up other positions to accept the duties and respon- sibilities of police officers, to protect the life and property of the citizens of Omaha; therefore be it
" Resolved, That we respectfully but ur- gently request the city council to pay said men out of funds specially provided and available for that purpose."
No attention was paid to this request, and the council still refused to recognize Chief Seavey and the new appointees of the board, and still refused to pay their salaries. An indignation meeting of the citizens was called to meet at the board of trade rooms. There was much excitement, and resolutions were passed condemning the action of the city council. An association was formed, called the " Policemen's Relief Association," for the purpose of raising money to pay the salaries of the police until the city council should do so.
For a period of several months this asso- ciation continued to pay the salaries of the chief of police and the policemen. Finally, Edward W. Simeral, county attorney. insti- tuted suit in the supreme court to test by a proceeding in quo warranto the title of Chief Seavey to his office. Thereupon, the city council employed J. C. Cowin and G. W. Ambrose to represent the city, and filed an amendment to the petition in the supreme
court, and also caused a proceeding in quo warranto to be instituted against the com- missioners, to test their title to office.
These cases were argued together in the supreme court, George B. Lake appearing for Chief Seavey and the commissioners. The opinion of the supreme court is found at page 454 of volume 22, of Nebraska Re- ports. It sustains fully the legality of Chief Seavey's appointment and his title to his office, as well as the title of the commission- ers. During all this time the city council had not paid the salaries of the commission- ers. Thereupon, suit was begun in the dis- trict court against the city by the commis- sioners for their salaries, and judgment was rendered in their favor. The money ad- vanced by the " Policemen's Relief Associa- tion " was also recovered in an action against the city in the district court.
The force, as now organized, is made up of a very superior body of men and is under excellent discipline, Chief Seavey having served during the late war as an officer of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry. On the 31st of De- cember, 1891, the force consisted of eighty- eight men, viz .: one chief, two captains, one chief of detectives, three sergeants, four detectives, one court officer, two jailers, two patrol drivers, two patrol conductors, one sanitary officer, four mounted men and drivers and sixty patrol men.
In presenting his report for 1890, Chief Seavey made the following suggestions to the board of commissioners: .
" First. That the honorable mayor and city council be requested to take action toward building a workhouse for this city.
"Second. That the police force be increased to one hundred and twenty-five men, and that two sergeants and two more detectives be appointed to go on duty May 1, 1891.
" Third. That an amount of money, not to exceed five hundred dollars, be set aside to be placed at the disposal of the chief of police for detective services, subject to the
371
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
approval of the mayor and the finance com- mittee of the board of fire and police com- missioners.
"Fourth. That an examining board, con- sisting of the committee on men and disci- pline and the city physician, meet during the month of April in each year and examine every member of the police department as to his mental, moral and physical condition, and general fitness for police service, and re- port the result of their investigation to the board of fire and police commissioners.
"Fifth. That on the 1st day of May of each year the board of fire and police com- missioners grade the police force as follows: Officers of the first grade to receive seventy- five dollars per month; officers of the second grade to receive seventy dollars per month; officers of the third grade to receive sixty dollars per month."
The amount paid policemen between December 31, 1890, and December 31, 1891, was 877,926.39.
There is a great deal of work done by the police. The sanitary and other police offi- eers have served 5,000 notices, and abated 3,000 nuisances.
There have been 17,260 meals furnished to prisoners, sick, injured and destitute persons who have been brought to the sta- tion during the year, the expense of which amounts to $2,350.68.
Males arrested during the year, 6,386; females, 895. Number of days lost by policemen caused by sickness and accidents, 1,307; boys arrested under sixteen years, 145; accidents reported, 184; burglars frus- trated, 6; attempted suicides, 3; dead bodies taken to morgue, 34; destitute persons cared for, 86; disturbances suppressed, 11; fire alarms recorded, 206; fires attended by police, 115; intoxicated persons arrested at home, 1; lodgers accommodated, 2,760; lost chil- dren found and sent home, 121; calls for patrol wagon, 3,140; nuisances and dead animals reported, 4,311; packages stolen property recovered, 259; prisoners taken to
county jail, 1,280; runaway horses stopped 122; sick and injured persons taken to station, hospital or home, 169; suicides reported, 13.
The first reference made in the records of the city clerk's office with regard to provid- ing for protection against fire appears under date of October 27, 1857, when Bovey, chair- man of the fire committee, recommended the formation of a hook and ladder company and the purchase of two twenty-foot lad- ders,one forty-foot ladder and one sixty-foot ladder, which report was adopted. In No- vember, Messrs. Schneider and Hurford submitted to the council a proposition to sell to the city a fire engine for $1,500, on one and two years time, but the proposition was rejected and Alderman Visscher ap- pointed a committee to procure at once the hooks and ladders recommended by the fire committee. June 25th, 1860, the following communication was presented to the council: " To the Hon. Mayor and City Council of Omaha: The undersigned officers of Pioneer Ilook and Ladder Company No. 1, respect- fully show to your honorable body that the said company is fully organized; that they have under contract and nearly completed a truck with the necessary hooks and ladders; that the whole will be complete and in run- ning order on the 1st day of July, 1860, and that they are without a place to keep same. We therefore respectfully ask your honorable body to procure for us a proper place to keep the same." Signed by Benjamin Stickles, foreman; J. S. McCormick, first assistant foreman; W. J. Kennedy, treasurer; James W. Van Nostrand, secretary. Henry Gray, IIenry Z. Curtis, M. H. Clark, A. J. Simp- son and P. W. Ilitchcock were also members of this company at the date of its organiza- tion. The constitution of the company was also presented and accepted and the clerk directed to issue certificates of membership to the officers and men. The communica- tion was referred to the fire committee, who soon afterwards reported that they had
372
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
secured a building for the use of the com- pany on Twelfth Street. The following November Benjamin Stiekles was elected fire warden of the city. Of the four persons named above all but Stickles are still resi- dents of Omaha. In the summer of 1862 the city purchased of Redick and Briggs part of lot 1, in block 121, corner of Douglas and Twelfth, with a small building thereon, for $215 cash, for the use of the hook and lad- der company. It is noted that this was a cash transaction, for in that carly period in Omaha's history, in most of the deals in which the city was a purchaser, there was no cash available.
The first bell used to sound the alarm of fire in Omaha was that of the Lutheran Church, then situated on the site now oceu- pied by the Millard IIotel, and very near the location of the hook and ladder com- pany's house. As there were objections to having the church entered and the bell rung by persons not connected with the church, the pastor, Rev. II. W. Kuhns, then living close by, used to ring out the alarm. This bell was rung for every fire for several years, and until after the department had one of its own.
A special election was held May 25, 1862, to vote upon the proposition for the city to borrow eight hundred dollars to be used in buying a fire engine. There were only thirty-five votes cast at this election, all but one being in favor of plunging the city into debt to the amount stated, but evidently the credit of the city was not sufficiently estab- lished in the financial centers to secure a loan for that amount, for nothing was done in the premises until March, 1864, when the council appointed a committee “ to ascertain the cost of a fire engine and apparatus, and a suitable number of cisterns to afford ade- quate protection against fire," and there the matter rested for a year and a half. In Sep- tember, 1865, a council committee of three was appointed to solicit subscriptions for the purchase of a fire engine. This scheme
evidently failed, for seven days later a spe- cial election was called for, October 14th, to vote for or against the city's making a loan of three thousand dollars in order to buy a fire engine, hose and hose cart. On this occasion 132 votes were cast and all in the affirma- tive, which shows that the residents of Omaha were a unit in recognizing the need of better facilities for subduing fires. In December following the mayor was author- ized to contract with the Amoskeag Manu- facturing Company for the purchase of a number three steam fire engine, hose ear- riage and 1,500 feet of hose at a price not exceeding eight thousand dollars. Two months later Alderman Charles H. Brown offered a resolution, reciting that the city's finances were in such condition that it would not pay more than five thousand dollars for a fire engine and that, "present and future expenses being considered, it will be wiser and more economical to rescind all action relative to the purchase of a steam fire engine and contraet in place thereof for a good, smart, hand fire engine to cost not over the sum first herein mentioned." The reso- lution was adopted and the mayor was di- rected to telegraph the Amoskeag Manufac- turing Company, reseinding the order to build a steam fire engine and to have the message repeated to insure certainty of transmission, which was done, at a cost of $14.92 for telegraph tolls. An effort was made to have the city purchase a hand en- gine which the hardware firm of Schneider & Ilurford had brought to Omaha, but was not successful.
The following month, March, 1866, a spe- cial meeting of the council was held to con- sider a petition signed by two hundred citi- zens of Omaha, praying for the purchase by the city of a steam fire engine, and remon- strating against the purchase of any other. A resolution was adopted instructing the mayor to purchase a steam engine, at a cost not ex- ceeding eight thousand dollars, providing the citizens of Omaha would take the three
373
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Thousand dollars of city bonds previously voted, and also guarantee the payment of the remaining five thousand dollars. Four days later Alderman Andrew J. Simpson reported that, under the authority of the city, he had purchased a hand fire engine at Davenport, Iowa, and a resolution appropri- ating eight hundred dollars to pay for the same was adopted. At this meeting of the council the mayor was instructed " to confer with Messrs. Button and Blake, of Water- town, New York, in relation to the purchase of hose and a hose carriage, and report to the council as soon as possible." In May, 1866, Ilook and Ladder Company No. 1 was directed to take charge of the "Fire King Engine," on its delivery at the levee, and on the 12th of July Fire Engine Com- pany No. 1 was accepted as an organization by the council, and the Fire King engine was turned over to that company, which, with the hook and ladder company, was au- thorized to elect a chief engineer, who was to have control of both organizations. In August arrangements were made to purchase of Aaron Calin lot one, block 140 (the lot now occupied by the Chamber of Commerce building and worth over $100,000), for $2,500, of which amount one thousand dol- lars was to be paid in cash, $750 in six months and the balance in one year, the de- ferred payments to bear ten per cent. inter- est. The following year a building was erected on this lot for engine purposes, by H. H. Visscher, at a cost of 84,241.61, for which he received city bonds, payable in one year. An effort had been made in the spring of 1867, to borrow $12,000 on the city's credit, for developing the fire department, but the council committee of three appointed for that purpose reported that the only offer they had was one from Mr. Edward Creigh- ton to loan the city half the amount needed, taking city bonds at ninety cents on the dol- lar, the city to pay twelve per cent. interest on the face value of the bonds. [In this connection it is gratifying to note that
Omaha city bonds, sold in April, 1889, bear- ing only five per cent. interest, brought a premium of eight and a quarter cents.]
In 1870 a second-class rotary steam engine and a thousand feet of rubber hose were bought of II. A. Silsby for $5,500, the price of the hose being two dollars per foot. At that time Omaha considered the city on the shore of Lake Michigan as a model, and upon receipt of the new engine christened it the " New Chicago No. 2."
From these beginnings have grown the splendid fire department possessed by Omaha. In 1870 the city was supplied with an elec- tric alarm system, put in by Gamewell & Co. at a cost of five thousand dollars, with ten boxes and seven and a half miles of wire. There are now eighty-four alarm boxes, fifty miles of wire and four circuit repeaters. There are twelve engine houses which are fully equipped, eighty-eight men and twen- ty-five horses, three engines, twelve hose carts, two hook and ladder trueks and two chemical engines. The yearly expenses of the department are ninety-seven thousand dollars. In 1885 the change was made from a semi-volunteer to a full-paid de- partment. Andrew J. Simpson, still a res- ident of Omaha, was one of the first officers of the department, having been elected chief in 1866. He was succeeded in that position in June, 1869, by Joseph F. Sheely, and he in turn by J. E. Markel, in 1871. In Aug- ust, 1872, Charles Simpson was elected chief and was succeeded by Stephen N. Mealio, who was elected in March, 1874, but resigned soon after, and Jolin J. Galligan was elected chief and held the place until April 15, 1877. The position was then filled for about eight- een months by Frank Kleffner. In October, 1878, occurred the disastrous Grand Central Ilotel fire, and a few days thereafter the council again elected Galligan chief. April 18, 1882, John HI. Butler was elected to the place, to be succeeded by Galligan in July, 1886, who, at this writing (August, 1892), still fills this important position, to which
374
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMANIA.
he was three times elected, and any attempt to supplant him would rouse a storm of op- position on the part of a community he has served for so many years with courage, zeal. and rare ability.
The following named have served as as- sistant chiefs: O. P. Ingalls, August von Windheim, Joseph F. Sheely, S. N. Mealio, Charles IIunt, Solomon Prince, James France, Harry Taggart, Charles Schlanck, John Galligan, Charles Salter and J. J. Barnes.
Upon the recommendation of the police and fire commissioners, the city council re- cently authorized the purchase of an im- proved water tower, which will enable the department to flood the top stories of high buildings. It is expected that this water tower will add materially to the already etli- cient apparatus of the department.
The Durant Fire Company was organized in 1867, by the Union Pacific Railroad Com- pany, for the protection of its own property, with a membership of forty-two, but the number has been gradually reduced until it has now but twenty-three men. The rail- way shops have been fitted up with hydrants, standpipes, electric fire boxes, ladders, fire buckets, etc., in the meantime, to such an extent that the present force is more effi- cient than was the much larger one of twenty years ago. The Durants have a fire steam engine, one large and two small hose carts, and are abundantly supplied with every- thing required to fit out a first-class fire company. In the yards, conveniently lo- cated, are sixteen hydrants owned by the railroad company and three belonging to the city. There are fifteen electric signal boxes connecting with the central station, and from that, connection is had with the headquar- ters of the city's fire system. In former years the Durants seldom turned out for service outside the grounds of the railway company, but it is now subject to the call of the chief of the city department, and when the services of this model company are re-
quired they are promptly and cheerfully given. The following named have served as foremen of the Durants since the organi- zation in 1867: William Fassett, two years; A. A. Gibson, one year; S. Courtney, one year; John Curtis, two years; W. Gushart, two years; John Clair, one year; Thomas Meldrum, one year; Michael Lawless, one year; Charles Fisher, one year; Thomas Cummings, one year; Thomas Meldrum, one year; John McDonald, two years; Peter Dowdel, one year; Charles Fisher four years. A notice of the Omaha Fire Department would be incomplete without special men- tion of W. J. Kennedy and Joseph F. Shee- ly, to whose untiring zeal, enthusiasm and excellent judgment much of the present ef- ficiency of the department is due. For thirty years these gentlemen gave valuable time and services to the fire department, and were particularly active in the early days, when it was composed of volunteers and when their services were of special value in organizing and rendering efficient when means and fa- cilities were woefully lacking. Augustus von Windheim, the organizer and foreman of the first hand engine company in Omaha, was also an efficient and enthusiastic fire- man. In the Union Pacific Fire Depart- ment Mr. Charles Fisher has been likewise valuable, bringing to the sevice of that department rare judgment and skill. Rec- ognizing his superior fitness lie has had charge of the fire system of that company at various times since its organization.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.