USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Uniontown > A history of Uniontown : the county seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania > Part 53
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Springer's grove north of town, Evans' grove east of town, Beeson's grove south of town and Bierer's and Dawson's groves west of town were favorite places for holding celebrations.
About 1854 a brass six-pounder was borrowed from the arsenal at Pittsburgh and kept here for several years for firing salutes, and early on the morning of the Fourth of July, 1854, it was placed at the corner of Pittsburgh and Main streets and salutes fired until all the glass in the immediate neighborhood was broken. In 1876, a steel cannon was purchased by popular subscription and used for firing salutes. This gun now adorns the court house lawn.
It appears that the enthusiasm of the American people can never be satiated with what is termed a " safe and sane " cele- bration of the Fourth of July, but from the smallest child to tottering age the demand ever was and ever shall be for ex- plosives and pyrotechnic displays.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT-MARKETS-PUBLIC SQUARE-MUNICIPAL HALL.
It is with justifiable pride that the citizens of Uniontown can compare the primitive mode in which our citizens fought the fire fiend when the town was a village, with the well- equipped fire department of the present time.
The first fire company was organized here as early as 1798, and doubtless this was brought into existence by the destruction of some property by fire, as no fire company was ever known to have been formed under any other circumstances. The man- ner of fighting a fire then was for the whole population to turn out with buckets, tubs, kettles, boilers and all kinds and sizes of vessels that would convey water; and the weaker sex vied with the stronger in rendering effective service, and added much to the excitement and activities of the occasion.
Efforts were begun upon the organization of this first fire company to procure a fire engine, but like all other enterprises in which the public is concerned, these met with some opposi- tion, and the purchase was delayed until 1802. In the minutes of the commissioners of Fayette county of January 28th of that year it is learned that a public meeting of the citizens of the town was held in the court house on that day, and that a com- mittee composed of Jonathan Rowland, James Allen and John Stidgers, was appointed by the burgess to wait upon the com- missioners to ascertain what amount they would contribute from the public funds toward the purchase of a fire engine. At their meeting February 5th, it was agreed to contribute $100 on condition the borough should raise the balance of the amount; and the minutes of September 17th show that an order was drawn in favor of the burgess for that amount toward the pur- chase of the engine.
Mr. Reuben Baily, at that time a leading merchant of the town, negotiated the purchase of a second hand fire engine in Philadelphia. It was a double action force pump with no suction hose, with two banks of handles on each side, and gallery pipe
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on top, and was manipulated by from twelve to twenty men. This engine bears the name of "Union" on its side, and the date 1798, in gilt letters, and is still the property of the borough, and is tenderly cared for on account of the effective service it rendered for nearly a century before it was superseded by a steamer.
The next notice of a meeting of the fire company is in the Genius of Liberty of August 15, 1828, in which it was announced that a meeting would be held in the court house on the last Saturday of August, at 2 o'clock p. m. The object of the meet- ing was not stated; William Salter was captain of the company at that time.
A very old list of the members of the Union fire company, but bearing no date, gives the names of John Greenland, James A. Yerk, Walter Ebert, Wm. H. Beeson, James Lindsey, Jr., Edward Jones, James F. Canon, William Crawford, Thomas Wathen, Enos West, Samuel White, George Rine, William Mc- Williams, John McCleary, Hugh Thompson, Jr., Edward Gavin, Stephen Beckett, George W. Brown, M. W. Rine, John Daw- son, Jacob Reynolds, Hugh Gorley, Gabriel Getzendanner, Richard E. Stone, James Ryland, William Salter, H. H. Beeson, Elijah Crossland, Milton Baily, Nathaniel Owings, Nathaniel Brownfield ; John Lewis and John P. Sturgis, engineers; D. P. Lynch, secretary.
According to a paper now in the possession of the Fayette County Historical society a reorganization of the Union fire company was effected in 1838. This document states that the undersigned hereby agree to form an association to be called The Union Fire Company, upon a sufficient number of subscribers being obtained to this paper. They were to meet and organize by electing officers and establishing by-laws, etc. Signed by Alfred McClelland, Robert Skiles, Jr., Ewing Brown- field, J. C. Crain, James T. Greenland, R. L. McKean, Jacob Springer, Daniel Huston, Macon W. Rine, John Hendrickson, Alex. McClean, Israel Hogue, Hugh Gorley, Ellis Baily, Edmund Beeson, Eli M. Gregg, H. H. Beeson, James F. Canon, Simon Sampsell, J. P. Sturgis, B. F. Hellen, Wilson T. Swain, Samuel McDonald, A. J. Fowler, John F. Jackson, Greenberry Crossland, Thomas Wathen, Daniel Sharpnack, Jesse King, J. Allen Downer, John Kimberly, Joshua B. Howell, Eph. B. Owings, John Loore, S. F. Smith, Thomas Swearingen, Daniel
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P. Lynch, Joseph Wylie, H. A. Snider, William Jeffries, E. P. Oliphant, Matthew Allen, Wilson Swain, Jr., Lucien B. Bowie, Samuel Evans, T. H. McCormick, William B. Jones, William Irwine, Jonathan D. Springer. The last survivor of this company was Lucien B. Bowie who died September 13, 1907, over ninety years of age.
It is probable that the reorganization of the fire company took place shortly after a destructive fire had occurred on South street in which the stables of Col. Evans, Samuel Y. Campbell, Hugh Espy and James McKean were entirely destroyed, and those of Isaac Beeson on the west and of Robert Skiles on the east were badly damaged. After which a meeting of the citi- zens was called at the court house at which the matter was discussed as to the necessity of purchasing another fire engine. As the result of this meeting Mr. Isaac Beeson was authorized to negotiate the purchase of an additional engine, and the "Madison " was added to our fire department. This engine was a little more modern in its construction than the Union, having side couplings for suction, and delivery hose and a - gallery pipe, and was manipulated precisely like the Union. This engine was purchased in Philadelphia about 1841.
Upon the acquisition of the new engine an additional fire company was necessarily organized, and naturally considerable rivalry existed between the two as to their number, standing and appearance, as well as their promptness in responding to an alarm and their efficiency in fighting a fire. The Unions called the Madisons the "Silk Stocking " company, and the Madi- sons called the Unions the "Plug Uglies" from the obvious reason that the Union company was composed of the plainer element of the town. But if the Madison company was com- posed of better material than that of the Union it must have been select indeed.
At the organization of the Madison Engine and Hose com- pany the following officers were elected: President, Arm- strong Hadden; Vice-President, George A. Shallenberger; 1st Captain, Ewing Brownfield; 2nd Captain, John S. Harah; 1st Engineer, Adam Richards; 2nd Engineer, William T. Kerr; Treasurer, Presley Canon; Secretary, M. N. Lewis; Directors, John Bradbury, Henry Nycum, N. Brownfield, William Gaddis and Charles Stone.
A charter was granted The Madison Fire Engine and Hose
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company, June 8, 1842, with the following officers: James Veech, Esq., president ; James F. Canon, vice-president ; R. T. Galloway, Esq., treasurer; John F. Jackson, secretary; Col. Ewing Brownfield, 1st, captain; Amos R. Frisbie, second cap- tain; Henry T. Diffenderffer, first engineer; George W. Rutter, 2nd engineer; directors, George Meason, John M. Austin, Wil- liam Byers, Jesse King and John Bradbury. Members-Robert T. Galloway, Lucius W. Stockton, Alfred McClelland, Isaac Sampsell, A. Hamilton Campbell, W. A. Donaldson, R. P. Flenniken, Simon Sampsell, Ashbel G. Crusen, Ephraim B. Owings, Ewing Brownfield, Wilson Swain, Jr., Jesse King, William Gaddis, John Bradbury, Benjamin Wintermute, Richard Beeson, Samuel S. Smith, George Meason, Hiram Blackledge, James P. Downer, David Olden, Daniel Huston, William Byers, William McDonald, Jacob G. Eakle, James F. Canon, Rial B. Adams, Edgar Thorn, Jonathan Fisher, Wil- liam H. Bennett, Amos R. Frisbie, Ellis Baily, William Wilson, Charles H. Beeson, Francis Harbaugh, Joseph L. Wylie, John Mustard, Armstrong Hadden, Henry T. Diffenderffer, Francis L. Wilkenson, John F. Jackson, Marshall N. Lewis, P. U. Hook, William D. Barclay, Ethelbert P. Oliphant, James Veech, George W. Rutter, Adam Richards, Samuel S. Austin, Jacob S. Beeson, George W. Cox, John M. Austin, John Siley, Nathaniel Brownfield, James P. Hedges, Frederick Byrer, M. Walker Irwin, Theophilus Bowie, Absalom White, John A. Rooney, William Hall, I. L. Hunt, Hugh Rogers, William Hague, Wil- liam Harah, Redding Bunting, James Lee, Thomas Stewart.
The rules required that each officer should wear a badge when on parade bearing the initials " M. F. E. and Hose Co.," or pay a fine of twelve and a half cents. The members were to wear red oilcloth circular caps on which the name " Madi- son " was painted in large letters.
On June 11, 1842, the town council resolved that the Madison Engine and Hose Company, with apparatus, be placed under the control and entire direction of the company; and further, that D. H. Phillips be added to the committtee already appointed for the purpose of locating a site for the erection of an engine house for the Madison Engine and Hose company ; and also to ascertain if such hose house be erected on the public school grounds; and if so, to proceed to receive bids and to build; if not, to proceed to seek further and report at the next
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meeting of the council. On July 4th, the committee reported that the school directors were favorable to the erection of the building on the school grounds. From some cause unknown the building was never erected on the school grounds; but on the 8th of October of this same year the council resolved that a committee be appointed to select a site for the erection of an engine house, and F. Byrer, P. U. Hook, Alfred McClelland and William Ebert were added to the building committee. This committee selected as the site the spot immediately over the race at the intersection of Church, South and Morgantown streets, and covering the point of the Greenland property, im- mediately east of where the public fountain now stands. This building committee was not prodigal with the public funds, for on December 5th an order was drawn on the borough treasurer for $91.28, being the amount in full for building the same. This house erected over the race, obstructed the view somewhat of Isaac Wood who owned and occupied the corner above, and upon his complaint the house was removed to the location of the old market house.
The Union fire engine was at first kept in a shed erected for the purpose against the western side of the court house, but was subsequently kept in a small building on the Downer lot a short distance west of the court house. This building was sold and removed in 1844 by order of council.
Doubtless it was on the occasion of the addition of the Madison engine to our fire department that new and higher wheels were put on the Union, and Maj. William A. Donald- son, an artist in his line, gave her a fresh coat of paint and gilded her name and date anew; and when she left his master touch she was a thing of beauty.
The Union Fire Engine company was incorporated by a charter granted September 12, 1842, with the following officers : William Morris, president; Zadoc Cracraft, vice-president ; J. Allen Downer, secretary ; Robert Boyle, treasurer ; 1st engineer, William Ebert; 2nd engineer, J. B. Eagle. Directors-John Canon, Isaac Skiles, Jr., William A. West, R. L. McKean. Members-Greenberry Crossland, John Knight, C. B. Snyder, Edmund Rine, S. D. Wolf, L. B. Bowie, James A. Crain, James P. Allen, W. H. Ebert, J. L. Moore, Frederick Sheats, William Kimberly, E. B. Snapp, John S. Seaton, George Huston, John W. Allen, John W. Howell, William Quail, David Henderson,
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William Doran, John McCartney, Joseph Smith, James Johnson, John Dillow, T. J. Shelcut, James T. Ebert, John P. Jones, Wil- liam H. Morrison, Absalom Guiler, John W. Dutton, Rice G. Hopwood, R. W. Irons, W. G. McCartney, Samuel Harris, M. C. Baker, Corbin A. Gilbert, Elijah Crossland, Jr., W. B. Swan, R. W. Jones, David Lincoln, Caleb Crossland, W. W. Smith, William Baily, D. S. Lewis.
Each officer was to wear a cape and a hat or cap on all oc- casions of a parade or be subjected to a fine of twenty-five cents; and each member of the company was to provide for himself a blue circular oilcloth cape on which was lettered U. F. E. Co. or be subject to a fine of not less than twelve and a half cents. The maximum fine for any offense committed was fifty cents or expulsion. The president of this company was also its captain.
It is conceded that Mr. Isaac Beeson, the leading merchant at this time, and a man of superior commanding power, acted as chief of the fire department for many years. He was captain of the Union company ; and on parade occasions his command- ing and dignified appearance called forth the admiration of the people. Subsequent captains of this company were Elijah Gadd, who was succeeded by Thomas M. Fee in 1848-49, who was succeeded by S. D. Oliphant, 1850-51, and he was succeeded by James L. Bugh, Jr., who served for two or three years.
On April 5, 1851, a committee reported to council that they had selected a site on the public grounds for the erection of a new engine house ; and the committee was directed to proceed to erect such a house immediately south of the market house. This house was a frame structure, having one large double door on the west for entrance, and two double doors on the east for exit, these being on each side of the borough scales. A tower was in the middle for draining the hose. Upon the completion of this building both fire engines and all the ap- paratus belonging thereto were stored in it. It appears that in 1845 several fires occurred which gave a new impetus to the fire department, for on March 20th of that year council resolved that the sum of $500 be appropriated for the purpose of pur- chasing a suction engine and 700 feet of hose, and that if said sum was not sufficient that such further sum as may be neces- sary be and is hereby appropriated. Alfred McClelland, James Piper and William B. Roberts were appointed as a committee
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to procure a loan and purchase such suction engine, hose and other accessories as they might deem expedient. This com- mittee reported April 28th that they had procured prices from Philadelphia, and finding such machines too high in price thought it not advisable to make the purchase, and the com- mittee was discharged.
On March 31st of that same year a night watchman was employed to guard the town against incendiarism. The Clinton House stables, east of the court house were destroyed by an incendiary fire, as were the stables and workshops on the rear of the John W. Barr and Samuel Harah properties, and on the same evening the barn of Mr. Isaac Beeson, just south of town, was burned. Some parties running to the Beeson barn saw a man running away whom they caught and placed in jail. It proved to be a worthless colored fellow by the name of Lafay- ette McGill. He broke jail before his trial and was never heard of since. In October of the same year a committee was ap- pointed to ascertain the cost of the construction of a cistern with a capacity of 15,000 gallons as a water supply in case of fire. This cistern was constructed on the court house grounds, and a ram was placed at a good spring on the Downer property from which the cistern was filled through pipes.
In 1850, plans were submitted by Mr. Zalmon Ludington for the construction of a double action suction and force pump for the purpose of supplying the Madison with water. In June of that year an order was placed with Mr. Herbertson, a foundryman of Brownsville, for the construction of such ma- chine according to plans submitted by Mr. Ludington. This machine was novel in design, and perhaps from its peculiar construction, it was named "The Crab." It was conveyed to the scene of the fire upon a low truck, from which it was lifted to the ground in proximity to a water supply and was operated by a walking beam resembling a stout ladder, and required the force of from twelve to twenty-four men to operate it.
A company was immediately organized for the Crab, and Captain Thomas King, the veteran and popular blacksmith, was elected the efficient and only captain of the company. This homely machine rendered effective and valuable service on all occasions of fire, either by supplying the engines with water or by throwing a stream immediately upon the burning building.
At a firemen's parade on the 18th of June, 1853, the Union
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company numbered 85 men, the Madison 79 and the Crab 64. The captain of the Union was Isaac Beeson; the captain of the Madison was Col. Ewing Brownfield; the captain of the Crab was Thomas King; while Armstrong Hadden had charge of the bucket carts and other paraphernalia of the department. These two bucket carts contained 50 wooden buckets each, and when a bucket-line was formed these buckets afforded an ef- ficient way of conveying water to the engines. The Union buckets were painted blue, and those of the Madison red.
The uniforms of the different companies were as follows: The Union-Slouch hat and blue band, white shirt, white pants with blue belt and no suspenders. The Crab-Chip hat turned up with rosettes on three sides, black pants with no suspenders, white belt, white shirt. The engines were handsomely decorated with flowers, flags and evergreens. Four small children rode on the Madison while "Bony " Melier, decorated as an Indian chief, rode on the Union. The procession formed at the west end of town and moved off to martial music and a brass band. The companies were showered with boquets of flowers as they passed along the principal streets as tokens of admiration by the ladies. In the evening the Union company took refresh- ments at the ice cream saloon of John A. Durbin, and the Madison at the house of William T. Kerr, and the Crab and others at the saloons of George Ingles and Jabez Thorndell.
No one of our old citizens can advert to those old fire engines, especially those who " ran with the machine " without feelings of admiration of the effective manner in which a fire was so laboriously yet persistently fought. Nor were these without their amusing incidents. On one occasion of a fire two able bodied members of the Union company were shirking their work when Captain Isaac Beeson took them in his giant grasp and knocked them together until they willingly applied them- selves to their duties. Neither were the users of the fire engines confined strictly and exclusively to the extinguishment of fires; but on several occasions, and perhaps too few, quite a number of houses of bad odor in the town were made to feel the cleans- ing and disinfecting power of the fire engine, in which cases it was always more pleasant to give than to receive. These acts were committed by amateurs and not by regular firemen, but always met with the approval of the better class of our citizens.
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In 1876, William Hunt and J. K. Beeson were appointed as a committee to negotiate the purchase of a steam fire engine, in view of which they visited several cities and towns for the purpose of gathering information, and as the result of their in- vestigations they recommended the engine built by C. Ahrens & Co., of Cincinnati, and also a four-wheeled hose carriage manufactured by Thomas H. Petro of Philadelphia, that had taken a medal at the Centennial exhibition. The new hose car- riage arrived in town April 21, 1877, and cost $400, and the steamer arrived June 21st following, and was tested by Mr. Ahrens to the entire satisfaction of the crowd of witnesses, and Mr. Ahrens received an order on the borough treasury for the sum of $4,400.
The old market house was converted into an engine house in 1894, and all the apparatus of the fire department was housed therein. The old Madison and the Crab, having been con- demned as of no further service, were disposed of as old scrap and the proceeds were placed in the borough treasury. The Union, as previously mentioned, was retained and is now treas- ured as a souvenir of the first fire department.
Upon the acquisition of the steamer and hose to the fire department, the town council appointed A. G. Beeson chief of the department to have full control of the apparatus belonging thereto. Mr. Beeson held this responsible position for three or four years, when an election was held in the council room by the two fire companies when William H. Wilhelm was elected chief and the choice was ratified by the borough council. Frank Stevens succeeded Wilhelm at an election held on January 2, 1893. He was succeeded by John H. Todd, January 1, 1896, and he by Lewis Williams, January 1, 1898, and he by J. K. Ritenour in 1902, and he by T. Springer Todd in 1904, and he by George Matthews in 1906, and he by W. L. Wood in 1908, and he by George Matthews in 1910, and he by John T. Williams in 1911, and he by Alex McDowell in 1912.
A new fire company was organized upon the acquisition of the steamer under the name of the Keystone Fire Company, with the following members: C. H. Rush, S. M. Baily, Joseph M. Hadden, William H. Wilhelm, Samuel Cooper, Geo. B. Rut- ter, C. H. Seaton, J. W. Jones, J. M. Messmore, Joseph Kerr, J. K. Beeson, W. M. Brownfield, A. G. Beeson, John G. Stevens,
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William Hunt, Edward Cronin, John H. Delaney, John A. Batton, R. B. Moore.
At a meeting held by the company April 19th, the following officers were elected : President, Daniel Kaine, Esq .; Vice- President, C. H. Rush; Secretary, J. K. Beeson; Treasurer, William Hunt; Captain, S. M. Baily; 1st Lieutenant, Frank Stevens; 2nd Lieutenant, Joseph M. Hadden; 1st Engineer, Thomas Cooper; 2nd Engineer, Joseph Keffer; 3rd Engineer, J. Morgan Messmore; 4th Engineer, John H. Delaney; pipe- men, A. G. Beeson, C. H. Seaton, J. R. Frey, George B. Rutter, John C. Brown, William H. Wilhelm; hose directors, Samuel Cooper, Alpheus Beall, W. T. Moore, Frank L. Brooks, W. H. Hinsey, Joseph W. Jones, John G. Stevens, R. A. McClean; suction hosemen, R. B. Moore, I. W. Miller, John A. Batton and Edward Cronin. The water supply for the steamer was ob- tained from Redstone creek, the old Beeson mill race, the public cistern in the court house yard, and a public cistern in Foundry street, the latter having been constructed after the purchase of the steamer.
The first use of the new steamer was on the occasion of the burning of the warehouse of Nathan Divvens in the rear of his tobacco store on Main street, and by which much damage was done to adjacent property. This fire was of incendiary origin, and occurred at midnight of Monday, April 8, 1878, and the satisfactory manner in which the steamer performed on that occasion removed all prejudice from the minds of those who had been unfavorable to the purchase of the engine. The next demand for her service was on the occasion of the burning of the Uniontown Woolen Mills of John N. Dawson, May 8, 1879, and although the buildings with all the valuable machinery were totally destroyed, the steamer acquitted herself gloriously by saving thousands of dollars worth of adjoining valuable property from the devouring flames.
In 1883 the Uniontown Water Company piped the town and placed forty fire plugs at convenient places in the town, since which time others have been added as the demands re- quired, with a guaranteed pressure of 150 pounds per square inch.
The Gamewell fire alarm system was introduced in 1892, and seven boxes were installed at convenient places in the town, since which others have been added as demand required.
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Alarm whistles were placed in each the United Light power house and the Street Railway power house, and indicators in each of the then two hose houses, and "jokers " at the homes of each of the officers of the department.
The Keystone Fire Company was incorporated March 6, 1899, with the following charter members: J. K. Ritenour, Samuel Shuman, Alfred Johnson, Geo. Denny, Frank King, Chas. F. Hagan, George P. Gadd, John Balsinger, Robert G. Ramsey, David P. Denny, Smith R. Whaley, Harry F. Moser, John C. Bierer and Edward T. Bierer. The board of directors were: J. K. Ritenour, George P. Gadd, George Denny, Charles F. Hagan, Alfred Johnson, John Balsinger and Edward T. Bierer.
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