Reminiscences of Pioneer Days in St. Paul Part 4

Two public-spirited citizens of St. Paul, John McCloud and Thompson Ritchie, purchased in the East and brought to the city at their own expense the first fire engine introduced in the Northwest. Although it was a miniature affair, on numerous occasions it rendered valuable a.s.sistance in protecting the property of our pioneer merchants. Mr.

Ritchie is still living, his home being in Philadelphia.

In November, 1854, Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was organized under provisions of the city charter. A const.i.tution and by-laws were adopted and the members agreed to turn out promptly on all occasions of fire alarms. As compensation for their services they were excused from jury duty, poll tax, work on the roads, or state military service, for the period of five years. The original const.i.tution of the Pioneer Hook and Ladder company contained the following membership roll: Foreman, Isaac A. Banker; a.s.sistant foremen, H.B. Pearson and George F. Blake; treasurer, Richard Galloway; secretary, Robert Mason; members, Henry Buell, John W. Cathcart, Charles D. Elfelt, Edward Heenan, Thompson Ritchie, Philip Ross, Wash. M. Stees, J.W. Stevenson, Benjamin F. Irvine, R.I. Thomson, John McCloud, J.Q.A. Ward, Charles J. Williams. Of the above John McCloud is the only one living in the city at the present time. Mr. McCloud was a member of the firm of McCloud & Bro., hardware dealers, and they occupied the building on the southwest corner of Third and Cedar streets.

This was the first full-fledged fire organization in the city, and as Mr. McCloud took the initiative in forming this company he may justly be called the "Father of the Volunteer Fire Department of St. Paul."

The old hook and ladder company was one of the representative inst.i.tutions of the city. From the date of its organization up to the time of the establishment of the paid fire department many of the most prominent men of the city were enrolled among its members. All of the property of the company was owned by the organization, but in 1856, having become somewhat financially embarra.s.sed, their accounts were turned over to the city and they were thereafter under the control of the city fathers. At that time they possessed one truck, hooks and ladders, and one fire engine with hose. Washington M. Stees was made chief engineer and Charles H. Williams a.s.sistant. This scanty equipment did not prove adequate for extinguishing fires and pet.i.tions were circulated requesting the council to purchase two fire engines of the more approved pattern, and also to construct a number of cisterns in the central part of the city, so that an adequate supply of water could be readily obtained. The city fathers concluded to comply with the request of the pet.i.tioners and they accordingly purchased two double-deck hand fire engines and they arrived in the city in August, 1858. They were soon tested and p.r.o.nounced satisfactory. Our citizens then congratulated themselves upon the possession of a first-cla.s.s fire department and they predicted that thereafter a great fire would be a thing of the past.

One of the most irrepressible members of Pioneer Hook and Ladder company in the early days was a little red-headed Irishman by the name of A.D. Martin. He was foreman of the Daily Minnesotian office and he usually went by the name of "Johnny Martin." Now Johnny always kept his fire paraphernalia close at hand, and every time a fire bell sounded he was "Johnny on the spot." After the fire was over Johnny generally had to celebrate, and every time Johnny celebrated he would make a solemn declaration that it was his duty to kill an Irishman before he returned to work. He would accordingly provide himself with an immense Derringer and start out in quest of a subject upon whom he proposed to execute his sanguinary threat. Strange to relate he never succeeded in finding one of his unfortunate countrymen, and it generally required two or three days to restore him to his former equilibrium. If Johnny was a member of the fire department to-day he would probably discover that the task of finding one of his countrymen would not be so difficult.

In 1857 Hope Engine Company No. 1 was organized, and they pet.i.tioned the common council to purchase 500 feet of hose for their use. In the fall of 1858 this company was given possession of one of the new engines recently purchased and it was comfortably housed at their headquarters in an old frame building on the southwest corner of Franklin and Fourth streets, and in a short time removed to a new brick building on Third street, fronting on Washington. Michael Leroy was made the first foreman and R.C. Wiley and Joseph S. Herey were his a.s.sistants. The membership contained the names of John H. Dodge, Porteus Dodge, John E. Missen, Joseph Elfelt, Fred Whipperman, John T.

Toal, J.H. Barstow, J.C. Grand, Charles Riehl, John Raguet, E. Rhodes, B. Bradley, Charles Hughes, Bird Boesch, T.F. Masterson, John J.

Williams and V. Metzger. During the fall of 1858 a large number of the most prominent business men in the vicinity of Seven Corners joined the organization and continued in active membership until the arrival of the first steamer.

In the winter of 1857-1858 Minnehaha Engine. Company No. 2 was organized, and it was provided with an engine house near the corner of Third and Jackson streets. The first officers were H.P. Grant, foreman; M.J. O'Connor and H.B. Terwilliger, a.s.sistants; members, Harry M. Shaw, Nicholas Hendy, John B. Oliver, F.A. Cariveau, H.A.

Schlick. C.D. Hadway, N. Nicuhaus, L.R. Storing, William T. Donaldson, Daniel Rohrer, J. Fletcher Williams, N. W. Kittson, Alfred Bayace, John McCauley and a number of others. The Minnehahas were a prosperous organization from the first, and their engine house was always kept open and served as a general lounging and reading-room for such of its members as had nothing particular to do.

Rotary Independent Company No. 1 was the third engine connected with the St. Paul fire department, but that was a private inst.i.tution and was only used when there was a general alarm and on the days of the annual parade of the department. This engine was purchased from the government by John S. Prince when Fort Snelling was abandoned, and was used for the protection of the property of the mill, which was located on lower Third street.

By the formation of Minnehaha Engine company the city fathers thought they were possessed of quite a respectable fire department, and from that time on the annual parade of the St. Paul fire department was one of the events of the year. The first parade occurred on the 12th of September, 1859, and was partic.i.p.ated in by the following organizations:

Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1.

Hope Engine Company No. 1.

Minnehaha Engine Company No. 2.

Rotary Independent Company No. 1.

These four companies numbered 175 men, and after completing their line of march were reviewed by the mayor and common council in front of the old city hall.

In 1858 the legislature pa.s.sed an act requiring the s.e.xtons of the different churches to ring the church bells fifteen minutes whenever there was an alarm of fire. The uptown churches would ring their bells, the downtown churches would ring their bells, and the churches in the central part of the city would ring their bells. There was a regular banging and clanging of the bells.

"In the startled air of night, They would scream out their afright, Too much horrified to speak, They could only shriek, shriek, Out of tune."

Every one turned out when the fire bells rang. Unless the fire was of sufficient volume to be readily located, the uptown people would be seen rushing downtown, and the downtown people would be seen rushing uptown, in fact, general pandemonium prevailed until the exact location of the fire could be determined.

Whenever there was a large fire the regular firemen would soon tire of working on the brakes and they would appeal to the spectators to relieve them for a short time. As a general thing the appeal would be readily responded to, but occasionally it would be necessary for the police to impress into service a force sufficient to keep the brakes working. Any person refusing to work on the brakes was liable to arrest and fine, and it was often amusing to see the crowds disperse whenever the police were in search of a relief force.

Upon the breaking out of the war a large number of the firemen enlisted in the defense of the country and the ranks of the department were sadly decimated. It was during the early part of the war that the mayor of St. Paul made a speech to the firemen at the close of their annual parade in which he referred to them as being as brave if not braver than the boys at the front. The friends of the boys in blue took serious umbrage at this break of the mayor, and the press of the city and throughout the state were very indignant to think that the capital city possessed a mayor of doubtful loyalty. The excitement soon died away and the mayor was re-elected by a large majority.

There was not much change in the condition of the department until the arrival of the first steamer, Aug. 11, 1866. The new steamer was lodged with Hope Engine company, and an engineer and fireman appointed at a salary of $1,600 per year for the two. The boys of Hope Engine company did not like the selection of the engineer of the new steamer and took the matter so seriously that their organization was disbanded and St. Paul Hose Company No. 1 was organized, and they took charge of the new steamer. The rapid growth of the city necessitated the frequent purchase of new fire apparatus, and at the present time the St. Paul fire department has 211 paid men, 15 steamers, 4 chemicals, 8 hook and ladder companies and 122 horses.

The volunteer fire department had no better friend than the late Mrs.

Bartlett Presley. She was the guardian angel of the fire department.

No night so cold or storm so great that Mrs. Presley was not present and with her own hands provide coffee and sandwiches for the tired and hungry firemen who had been heroically battling with the flames. She was an honored guest at all entertainments with which the firemen were connected, and was always toasted and feasted by the boys at the brakes. She will ever be remembered, not only by the firemen, but by all old settlers, as one of the many n.o.ble women in St. Paul whose unostentatious deeds of charity have caused a ray of sunshine in many sad homes.

Mrs. Presley's death was deeply regretted, not only by the fire department, but by every resident of the city.

Among the many brilliant members of the legal fraternity in St. Paul in early times no one possessed a more enviable reputation than the Hon. Michael E. Ames. He was the very personification of punctiliousness and always displayed sublime imperturbability in exigencies of great moment. One dreary winter night his sleeping apartment in uppertown was discovered to be on fire, and in a short time the fire laddies appeared in front of his quarters and commenced operations. As soon as Mr. Ames discovered the nature of the disturbance he arose from his bed, opened the window, and with outstretched arms and in a supplicating manner, as if addressing a jury in an important case, exclaimed: "Gentlemen, if you will be kind enough to desist from operations until I arrange my toilet, I will be down." The learned counsel escaped with his toilet properly adjusted, but his apartments were soon incinerated.

HOTEL FIRES.

LIST OF HOTELS DESTROYED BY FIRE DURING ST. PAUL'S EARLY HISTORY.

Daniels house, near Seven Corners.

Sintominie hotel, Sixth street.

Rice house, near Rice Park.

New England hotel, Third street Hotel to the Wild Hunter, Jackson street.

Montreal house, Robert street.

Canada house, Robert street.

Winslow house, Seven Corners.

American house, Third street.

International hotel, Seventh and Jackson streets.

Franklin house, Marshall avenue.

Dakota house, Seven Corners.

Washington house, Seven Corners.

Cosmopolitan hotel, Third street.

Western house, Third street.

Garden City house, Fourth street.

City hotel, Fourth street.

Central house, Bench street.

Emmert house, Bench street.

St. Paul house, Bench street.

Luxemborg hotel, Franklin street.

Farmers' hotel, Fourth street.

Greenman house, Fifth street.

Mansion house, Wabasha street.

Haine's hotel, Lake Como.

Aldrich house, Lake Como.