
Stories from the History of Nashua’s Police and Fire-Rescue Departments
Here are some tidbits of information focusing on the early days of Nashua’s fire department:
1838: The Nashua Manufacturers and Mechanics Association is founded. In 1845 it would change its name to the Nashua Iron Works and in 1872 to the Nashua Iron and Steel Company. They occupied 15 acres of property between E. Hollis St. and Tyler St. just east of Dearborn St. Long-time Nashuan’s will remember Osgood’s Hardware being on this piece of property for years. In fact, Osgood’s main building was part of Nashua Iron and Steel Company. Commonly referred to as “The Old Forge” this place is notable in the context of the Nashua Fire Dept. because for years, it provided the steam-whistle to notify call-men of the fire dept. when they were needed.
1840: Around this time, Nashua businessman George Underhill buys a large tract of land east of the Harbor area (present-day Simoneau Plaza) on which to build his own home. He also founded the Underhill Edge Company producing tools that required a fine cutting edge such as knives and axes. In the 1870’s he began dividing his land into house lots. For a long time, this area was known as Edgeville. Today we know this area as Crown Hill. In 1871, the firm of Gregg and Hoyt, better known to Nashuans as Gregg and Sons, makers of doors, window sashes and other wood mill products, moved from Goffstown to Nashua’s Crown St. thereby accelerating the development of the area. Seeing this growth, the city bought a plot of land on Arlington St. where, in 1892, the first of two firehouses would be built. The original Arlington St. School, built on this plot of land was completed in 1889 at a cost of $34,000.
February 1840: The fiscal report for the city covering March 1839 to February 1840 encompasses twenty pages to explain how the Selectmen had spent the budget’s $20,000. Under the heading “Fire Protection” was one of the smallest amounts; $14, for printing bills for the Fire Wards.
1842: The budget for the Nashua Fire Dept. for the total year was $20.21 under the heading “Repairs of Engine and Hose.” At the time, two of the engines had been purchased and paid for by Nashua’s textile mills and one had been purchased by subscription (donations) from Nashua citizens – and all the firemen and Fire Wards were volunteers.
1843: The recent squabble over where the Nashua city hall should be located, splits the city into two sections. South of the Nashua River remains Nashua; north of the river becomes Nashville. Needing fire protection, Nashville buys a Hunneman engine known as Nashville No. 1. This later became known as Protector No. 4 in 1853 when the two cities were once again joined. (Note: At the time, Hunneman was one of the leading builders of fire apparatus.)
January 1, 1843 According to Gill’s 1843 Nashua and Nashville Directory, the Nashua Fire Dept. consists of the following apparatus:
- Engine No. 1 owned by the Nashua Corporation (Nashua Manufacturing Co.)
- Engine No. 2 owned by the Jackson Corporation (Jackson Mills)
- Engine No. 3 The Lafayette owned by Nashua/housed at Park St.
All companies have 40 members.
January 22, 1843: A fire broke out at about 3:00 a.m. in the upper story of a large machine shop of the Nashua Manufacturing Company. The fire spread with such rapidity that very little could be saved. Note: In the days when it was difficult just to report a fire, response time was relatively slow, firefighting resources were limited and fire prevention and early detection and suppression were unheard of, large losses were not uncommon. This was especially true in the winter months when heavy fire equipment had to be dragged through the snow by hand. The old joke among firefighters of “saving the cellar hole” was not so funny then, when it was many times true.
Upon conducting research for this project, it was found that in many cases, if a building, especially a commercial building, burned beyond repair, the wreckage was removed and never replaced. This is evident all over Nashua. If you see a vacant lot or what seems like an out-of-place parking lot, and it seems like there should have been a building on that spot, you are probably correct. But some buildings were rebuilt and have become iconic. On October 31, 1848, the Baptist Bible Society Church at 43 Main St. burned down. Built in 1833, on the corner of Franklin and Main St., this was originally the First Baptist Church of Nashua. The church that presently stands in this spot was rebuilt after the fire and dedicated in 1850.
December 1848: At a town meeting, a vote was passed to raise the sum of $3,325.00 for the purchase of a fire engine, hose and other firefighting equipment. This would become the fire house on High St. housing the new Niagara Engine No. 2. (Despite research, the actual location of the firehouse on High St. could not be determined. However, much is that area has changed dramatically since 1848.)
1848: A 2-story train station is built on the corner of Canal and Main St. The first-floor handles passengers and freight coming and going on the trains. It is also home to several other businesses. The second floor, called the Franklin Opera House, serves as a meeting hall and a place for shows. Note: It is believed that the Nashville No. 1 engine, purchased by the new city of Nashville after breaking away from Nashua, was housed in this building until 1853 when Nashville and Nashua merged. Today, in 2024, this is the long-time site of Dunkin Donuts.
Excerpted from “Nashua’s Bravest: The History of Firefighting in Nashua NH”
About the Author

Yester-Heros” author Gary Ledoux grew up in Nashua’s Crown Hill area, attending Nashua schools and graduating from Nashua High in 1970. He attended NH Vo-Tech for a time, then moved to Amherst, then Manchester, and Weare. He served as a volunteer on the Amherst Fire Dept from 1974 to 1977. A career in the automotive business took him to Florida and then to southern California. After 48 years, he retired in 2017, moving back to Florida with his wife, Rachel, and two dogs. He has published seven books, including two about Nashua history, and has been a contributing editor or contributor to 10 different magazines. Gary can be reached at mayorclum@yahoo.com