Here is the Sanborn Map of Vigilant Fire Company #1 located at Jefferson and Kirk. This station was built in 1888 and later torn down on April 22, 1977. However it had not been used as a fire station since the new Station #1 was built and put into service in 1906-1907(I am still researching the exact date due to a discrepancy in dates used in the past).
Here is the home of Station #2 at 4th St. and East Ave. Former home of Friendship Fire Company #3.
Here is the snapshot of the Sanborn Map locating the Friendship Fire station #3 in 1893. The station is situated in the Northwest corner of 4th St. and East Ave. It is unsure when this building was built, However it was sometime between 1889 (not present in maps), and 1893 as you can see here. The station was joined to a market building next door. This station was utilized by the Volunteers until the City took over the Fire Department in 1903 and the Friendship Fire Company #3 became Station #2.
So here I find an article from August 19, 1972. The article is about, get this, the Roanoke Historical Society trying to acquire Station #1. Even back then they thought that it would only be a couple of years. They speak of an Eric Miller who was or maybe still is a Salem Firefighter. He is also a fire buff and let the Society use some of his memorabilia for a display at 17 East Kirk Ave. The picture is what caught my attention. There it was, the helmet, in the picture. My helmet, or at least the one that I received from that Captain along with a scale model of a steam engine. The caption under the picture reads “Model steam engine stands beside fire helmet worn by the late Joseph T. Engleby as assistant fire chief for Roanoke. The eagle topped helmet is on loan to the historical society from J.T. Engleby III, and dates to around 1884. WOW.
So the information passed on to me was correct. However I wonder how in the heck did that helmet end up in my hands. I mean this is a very historical piece of the fire department. I guess it is fitting that I ended up with it now that I have undertaken the history of the department.
Now I realize that someone out there might be missing this helmet. Maybe the Engleby family, maybe the historical society. I am not saying it was stolen. Maybe it was just passed along, rightfully so in the department. If anyone else has information on this helmet please let me know. I will attach a picture as soon as I get the helmet out of storage.
Latest news on the old Station #2 that has eluded Captain Wiseman and myself. After talking to Pete Smith who lives down the street from station #8 (1942-1974) he easily picked out a picture and said that it was station #2. However I told him that it was actually a picture of the Friendship Fire Company #3, which was originally the Union Fire Company both former Volunteer Companies. He said that it was indeed station #2 located at East and 4th, where the main post office is today. So I did a little digging and saw that the information was right under my nose. The location that I have documented for the Friendship fire station #3 and the old Station #2 is the same. So there you have it. The best I can tell is that the City used it as a paid fire station and renumbered it after the Volunteers disbanded and the City took over the fire department. So here is a picture of it as the paid station #2. The Friendship fire company would not have had motorized equipment. If anyone has anything to add please leave comments or contact me at FireFleitz@adelphia.net. By the way this picture can be viewed at the Virginia Room of the Downtown Roanoke Library.
Bail
Bert
Big John
Big John #2
Billy April 19,1904
Billy #2 – Raised by J.B. Bean May 16, 1904
Bob
Bob #2
Denny
Dewey – May 8,1904
Dexter
Frank
Frank
George
Jack – April 19,1904
Jack Cook
Jack Cook #2
Prince
Prince #2
Sandy
Sandy – April 1904
Tom
Virgie – The First Horse
Facts
1.There were 10 horses in the department in 1905.
2.There were 10 horses in the department in 1906.
3.The last fire alarm answered by horse drawn fire equipment was to box # 52 at Franklin Rd. and 3rd ST. S.W. May 18,1918.
4.You can still see the areas on the interior walls of station #1 downtown where the horses would gnaw on the bricks.
5.The horses would begin stirring and kicking when the alarm went off.
By Amber Rhinehart
The next Chapter
I think that I will begin focusing on historical events in the fire departments past. This will include the big fires, incidents, and any thing else that I might dig up. I might also begin documenting the apparatus of the department. So there you have it, I have mapped it all out.
Station #1 taken 1957, Left to right are 1918 Seagrave ladder truck 100′ (Ladder 1), 1941 Chevrolet , and a 1950 Oren (Squad 1). I thought I would throw this picture in the mix because we often see the older pictures with horse and wagon.
So what do we do with all of this information? We take it and run with it. No I don’t mean steal it. We simply pick up the pieces that he left (and he left most of them) and we finish the puzzle.
Case and point: I have asked around about the Alert Fire company. I have asked everyone I have come in contact with. I hadn’t gotten an answer from anyone. Well I found it today. On an earlier post I listed past Fire Stations including Volunteer Fire Departments in Roanoke from the past. Well I found a couple more. The Alert Fire Company No. 4 was chartered November 7, 1892 and disbanded February 28, 1903 and yes Capt. Wiseman left the whole roster also. So that answered that question but I answered some other questions that I didn’t even know there was a question for. The Alert company was located near the Brewery.
The Friendship Fire Company #3 was originally named the Union Fire Company #3 (1890).
The Vigilant Steam Fire Company #1 was organized January 17, 1884 and disbanded December 31, 1893.
The Junior Hose Company #2 was chartered February 29, 1888 and was located in the basement of the Old Rorrer Hall on the Corner of Campbell and Roanoke St.
There was also
Roanoke Fire Company #1.
Roanoke Machine Works Hose Company #1 organized 1882 for protection of the Railway and the Hotel Roanoke.
Roanoke Machine Works Hose Company #2.
Hotel Roanoke Hose Company #2 organized Feb. 4, 1884 and disbanded prior to July 4, 1884.
Salem Fire Company
So that is a taste of what I have found. I will probably begin writing chapters on the history to be included in this blog to better serve the process and outcome of my findings and that of Captain Maurice Wiseman before me. If you have any questions email me FireFleitz@adelphia.net.
Firefighters are demonstrating Roanoke City’s first Hook and Ladder Truck (pulled by horses). This photo was taken in 1894 in front of the Bridgewater Carriage Factory Building located at the corner of Church Ave. and Henry St. (1st St.). Part of the second floor of this building was rented as a High School Annex 1893-1894. The photo comes from the Roanoke Firefighthers Association Captain Maurice Wiseman Collection. It is unclear if the Carraige company had anything to do with the fabrication of the horse drawn Hook and Ladder truck shown. I can only hope to find some more information on this. Of course there is a lot of Captain Wiseman’s Collection that I have not even looked at yet.
Of course you can always bring the history and tradition to me, since my time in the department is relatively short still. So email me at
Firefleitz@adelphia.net with any questions, information, or leads on the past, present, or future.I wish to thank all of the Crusty Old Jakes and the Senior members of this deparment in the persuit of the history and unearthing the traditions of this department. As I learn more I will begin to talk of my findings as well as posting the current happenings in the department.
Here is a list of all of the stations that I currently know of ever in Roanoke City.
#1 Vigilant Fire Station at Jefferson and Kirk (this was a volunteer station)(torn down)
#1 Fire station at 13 East Church Avenue
#2 Alert Fire Company ( I believe the number of the Alert Fire station to be either #2 or #4, however I do not have any data on this station other than the picture I posted earlier. ( unclear of exact location)
#2 Junior Fire Company located in the basement of the old Rorer Hall, on the corner of Campbell and Rorer Avenue.
#2 Fire Station located at the corner of East Ave. and Fourth St. N.E.
#2 Fire Station at 55 Noble Ave.
#3 Friendship Fire Station (this was a volunteer station that was located near the site of station #2 at East Ave. and Fourth St. S.E.)(torn down)
#3 Fire station at 301 6th street SW
#4 Fire station at 323 Highland Ave. SW (torn down)
#4 Fire Station on Peters Creek Rd. (across the street from the new one)(now a business)
#4 Fire Station at 3763 Peters Creek Rd.
#5 Fire Station at 216 12 St. NW
#6 Fire Station at 1015 Jamison Ave. SE (still standing and currently a police sub-station and community meeting hall)
#6 Fire Station at 1333 Jamison Ave. SE
#7 Fire Station at 1724 Memorial Ave. SW
#8 Fire Station at 2328 Crystal Spring Ave.
#9 Fire Station at 514 24th St. NW
#10 Fire Station at 55 Noble Ave. ( This station was #10 from about 1962 until the mid 70′s when the new station #10 was built.)
#10 Fire Station at 5202 Aviation Dr. NW
#11 Fire Station at 1502 Riverland Rd.
#12 Fire Station at 4810 Salem Tpk. (closed, currently a business)
#13 Fire Station at 4330 Appleton Ave. NW
#14 Fire Station at 1061 Mecca St. NE
I will correct any errors as I become aware of them or as I find out more information on the stations above.
The three stations listed above as volunteer stations were built and utilized as seperate volunteer companies that were privately maintained. The Vigilant Fire Company was the first one formed. The City took over the Fire Department regularly on March 1st, 1903 and a paid force was put in charge.
A little side note to this is that Station #14 in Nashville Tenn. is designed from the design of Roanoke City’s Station #5. I have a picture of Nashville’s Station #14 I will have to scan in the computer and post here. I think that I gave a copy of it to Station #5, although I am not sure if it is hanging there or not. Station 5 is identical to the old station 4 and 6. I do not know what the old station #2 looked like that was at East Avenue and Fourth St. N.E.
I would like to let you all know that if you haven’t sat down with one of those old crusty firefighters from yesteryear then you are missing out. You thought you knew something about firefighting, it’s traditions and the lifestyle as it was meant to be well guess again. I am not only writing this because of my last encounter, rather due to the magnitude of the conversations, history lessons, and memories that I have had the pleasure of listening to.
Warren Hawley became a firefighter in 1952 and retired in 1982. This 30 year career took him to station 8,10, and the old airport facilities, among others I am sure. He still makes time to stop by a couple of stations every once in a while to chat as well as make it to the monthly breakfast of the Retirees (I will refer to them as the Crusty old Jakes out of reverence). The stories that Warren shared with me over the hour and a half that he was at the station were priceless. I have several photos of the past that I keep with me at the station and at home, which I got out for him. It was neat to see his face light up when I showed him a picture of him and his old crew. Captain Robert Lee Mutter, Captain Daniel Ralph Sink, Lt. Blenkey W. Greer, Lt. Everett Ray Walters, FF William W. Kopcial, FF. Lawrence E. Hylton (Bones), “that is me right there” he stated , and last FF Donald Ray Barbour. He went right down the list not missing a beat. He spoke of the guys as though he was still working with them. I had to continually ask him the guys real names as he simply referred to guys as Bones, Foots, Jake, Ann, Lightning, Brigham. I will let it be known that Warrens nicknames were Calhoun (sp) and Floor Board.
Warren spoke of different experiences and then talked of his time in WWII though not in depth. He said he was in the Air Force and he was sure to have me search the internet for his listing on the WWII memorial website, www.wwiimemorial.com. There you will find Warren Hawley as well as his brother Albert L. Hawley both of Roanoke with their pictures. He was very proud of everything.
Warren didn’t mind me taking notes during the conversation. I could show him a picture that to me was a 50′s era engine. He would tell me the make, engine size, GPM capacity, where it was stationed and any interesting story he could think of about the engine or some of it’s drivers. I was able to add about 40 names to my list of the Roanoke City Fire Department Roster. I will continue to add until I am finished. I will post the roster on the site soon so you all can give input on who I am missing.
Speaking to Firefighter Warren Hawley was very interesting and I thought I would pass on to you the information you can find out. I have not put everything on here of course. There are things that you will just have to ask him yourself. What I am getting at is the next time you are in the station and a Crusty Old Jake shows up to say hey, why don’t you ask him about the good ole days. What are you so busy? Unlikely. You guys aren’t going to know what you have missed until it is gone. The links to the past, traditions, history.
Roanoke Fire Department
You will need to search the database with specific words.
Try these words
Fire, Fire Engine, Fire Truck, Building Fire, Roanoke Fire, Roanoke Fire Dept., Fire Station, Firemen, Fire hose, etc.
Let me know if you find other sites who have pictures also.
Here is another site:
http://members.cox.net/oldroanoke/index.htmgo to page 51.
Station # 1 circa 1912. Built in 1906, opened Feb 17, 1907. Driver on ladder truck William J. Sink (Pappy) (1914). 3 Horse Ride; Tucker standing by doorway (1922), Cap. Joseph A Wade standing by Pappy Sink on running board (1907), Capt. Cleveland Carper Meador on hose wagon, William H. Jennings driver on hose wagon. Station #1 is currently in operation and houses Ladder 1, Battalion Chief 1, and RS-1.
