Always Have a Bucket of Water Nearby — 1890s

by Paula Bosse

fire-dept_ervay-kelly_hose-co-2_1901Hose Co. No. 2, S. Ervay at Kelly, ca. 1901… (click for larger image.)

by Paula Bosse

fire-signals_souv-gd_1894

Dallas used to burn down a lot. Here is a handy tip sheet for residents and visitors printed in 1894, about the time the above photo was taken. I’m sure everyone in the city knew where the alarm boxes were and what the various signals meant. When to relax, and when to run. When to hold ’em, and when to fold ’em.

fire-boxes_fire-alarm-signals_souvenir-gd_18941894 (click for larger image.)

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Sources & Notes

Top photo of Hose Co. #2/Fire Station #12 from The Dallas Firefighters Museum, found on the Portal to Texas History site.

List of fire alarm boxes from Souvenir Guide of Dallas. A Sketch of Dallas and Dallas County, their resources, business enterprises, manufacturing and agricultural advantages (Dallas: D.M. Anderson Directory Company, 1894).

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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.