Salem (Oregon) Online History - Salem's Paid Fire Department

This page is best viewed with a browser that supports scripting.
To browse the content of the Salem Online History website visit the SiteMap.


	Tips

Salem's Paid Fire Department:
Horse Era to Steam Era (1893 to 1919)

Original Paid SFD Roster:

Chief engineer W. S. Low
Assistant Chief Engineer W. F. Duncan
Engineer of Steam George Hastings
Assistant Engineer of Steam F. A. Welch
Driver of Fire Engine John Duncan
Driver of Hose Wagon R. H. Price
Hoseman Arthur Glover
Hoseman J. W. Thompson
Hoseman J. G. Lieurman
Hoseman Andrew Cross
Hoseman Albert Smith
Hoseman Mark Savage
Hoseman P. G. Norgan
Hoseman W. H. McOscar

Salem Fire Department began its move from a volunteer force to a paid force in 1893. The beginning of the end of the volunteer era actually began in 1883 with the introduction of Salem's first steam fire engine. After the introduction of horses to Salem Fire Department in 1889, there was no longer the need for a 220 man force. Because of the labor savings achieved by steam and horse power, the 220 man force was reduced to 14 paid firefighters and a handful of volunteer "call men" in 1893.

Volunteer check numbers:
Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1: 40 firefighters
Capital Engine Company No. 1: 60 firefighters
Tiger Engine Company No. 2: 60 firefighters
Salem Engine Company No. 3: 60 firefighters
Total Volunteer Force: 220 firefighters

In 1893, Salem's first paid firefighters were paid:
Chief Engineer: $75 per month
Assistant Chief Engineer: no pay
Engineer of Steam: $75 per month
2nd Engineer of Steam: $20 per month
Driver of Steam, Engine: $60 per month
Hose Men: $10 per month

From 1863 to 1921, Salem firefighters were on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 1921 a two-platoon system was established so that firefighters would work every other day, an 84 hour work week. In 1953, Salem established the three-platoon system it uses today, a 54 hour work week.

The first fire that the new paid fire department responded to occurred on March 15, 1893, at the residence of J. L. Wilson at Center Street and Liberty Street. The fire was caused by a defective flue and caused $5 damage.

Salem Fire Department responded to 10 fires in 1893, and two of those calls were false alarms. The 1893 dollar loss in the City of Salem due to fire was $110.

The first large fire for the paid department occurred on November 18, 1895, when the woolen mill at 12th and Trade suffered $65,000 in damages. The building was insured for $20,000.

Two large fires occurred in 1899. The first fire occurred on February 21st 9:40 P. M. when the Court House suffered $69,695 in damages from a fire caused by a defective flue. On September 22nd, the second large structure to burn was the flour mill at Front St. and Mill St. which caused $57,000 in loss to the S. F. Milling Company and $44,640 in wheat belonging to "many farmers."

In 1904 a "Fire of incendiary origin" caused $100,000 in damages to Willamette Valley Flouring Mills at Front and First St in North Salem. The mill owned by T. B. Wilcox suffered $50,000 in damages and the flax in the mill owned by Eugene Bosse was valued at $50,000. There is a note in the station log about the fire: "No water in mill ditch at time of fire, engine had to be taken down the bed of the creek to bridge or gravel barr on Commercial & Division Sts. but owing to length of line the stream was no good."

In 1915, Chief Hutton began listing members of the fire department in the station log.

Paid members of Salem Fire Department in 1915:

Harry Hutton: Chief, started service on Jan 1, 1915
W. H. Phillips: started service on Jan 1, 1899
W. M. Ivan: Captain, started service on May 1, 1907
Earl Beck: started service on Mar 12, 1912
Robert Muths: started service on Apr 12, 1912
Glme Gupton: started service on May 10, 1912
Ray Cooper: started service on Aug 2, 1912
L. R. Murphy: started service on Jan 1, 1913
Dooley Johnson: started service on Mar 10, 1913
Roy Hixson: started service on Dec 4, 1914
F. G. Anderson: Engineer, started service on April 1, 1911

Volunteer "Call Men" of Salem Fire Department in 1915:

Claude Jorgenson: started service on Jul. 5, 1907
Emert Johnson: started service on May 1, 1917
Frank Filbert: started service on June 4 1907
Thomas Thrapp: started service on April 10, 1915
Joe Bernardie: started service on Jan. 2, 1915
Herbert Savage: started service on Feb. 4, 1916
Elmer Smith: started service on Jan. 4, 1916

The end of Salem Fire Department's horse-drawn era is chronicled in the Salem Fire Department station log with the entry:

Motorized Fire Department
June 5 - 1919
=== No More Horses ===

Photo Credits:
1896 Group photograph was copied from a print located at Salem Fire Station No. 2. It is not known if an original negative exists for this photograph; the photographer is unknown..

Group of 4 Salem Fire Department members was taken in 1895 and is part of the Ben Maxwell collection at Salem Library (photo ID 1061).

Photograph of the American LaFrance steam engine ready to go in the apparatus bay of Salem Fire Department's Central Station was taken from a print in the Salem Fire Department collection. This photograph is part of the Ben Maxwell collection.

Photograph of the horse-drawn wagon was taken from a print in the collection of Salem Fire Department. The photographer is unknown. The existence of a negative is unknown.

Chief W. S. Low, Salem's first paid fire chief.
[ View Image ]

This is photograph taken in 1896 is the earliest known photograph of Salem's paid fire department. In the middle is A. J. Coss, who served for one year as Salem Fire Department's second paid fire chief in 1906.
[ View Image ]

Salem firefighters pose for a photograph in 1895.
[ View Image ]

A chemical wagon, essentially a large soda acid fire extinguisher on wheels. This horse-drawn wagon contained a large tank filled with soda water. Once at the fire a canister of acid would be dropped into the tank and the violent chemical reaction would instantly build pressure that would expel the contents of the tank through a fire hose.
[ View Image ]