Stories from the History of Nashua’s Police and Fire-Rescue Departments.
March 6, 1915 The DeLuca Café at 8 Pearson Ave. was narrowly saved from a conflagration when Mr. and Mrs. DeLuca, sleeping in their apartment above the restaurant, noticed something “not right” and went down to the eatery to investigate. Firemen from the Central Firehouse were quickly summoned and extinguished the blaze. Author’s Note: This area is all parking lot today.
November 17, 1915 Fire apparatus from Arlington St. Station responded to a fire at a store on the corner of Arlington and Gillis St. owned and operated by Mrs. Leroy Gaskill. After an hour the fire was brought under control. Damage was heavy on the inside of the store with over $1,000 in stock lost. Author’s Note: Long time Nashua residents, especially those from Crown Hill will remember this as Guerette’s Market.
November 23, 1915 A fire at the former Batchelder Estate, then-presently owned by Willis Shedd resulted in the burning of a barn and small shed. The building was located just south of the Arlington St. School and literally a few hundred feet from the Arlington St. Fire Station. Author’s Note: Long time Nashuans will remember this building as the King’s Daughters Home for Boys. It is presently (2021) the Clearway High School Adventure Camp.
November 25, 1915 Thanksgiving Day The department was called out at 10:30 a.m. for a fire at the Lemay Shoe Factory at 45 Abbott St. Shop owner Arthur Lemay noted that they manufactured baby shoes. Flames were confined to a storage area. Author’s Note: This is now a private residence in a residential area.
December 30, 1915 A fire at the B&M coal shed located near the intersection of Temple and Amory St. resulted in $6,400 in damages. Sand and coal used by the train engines were stored here. Apparently, a heater used to maintain the sand in condition for use by the locomotives overheated. About 3,700 tons of coal were saved.
January 21, 1916 A horse belonging to the Nashua Light, Heat and Power Company became unmanageable at Tremont Square which had been cleared to allow the passage of fire apparatus. A young man named L. Phippard of Bowers St. grabbed the horse by the bridles and wrested the animal out of the way. Author’s Note: Tremont Square was the name given to the intersection of Pearl and Main St. as the Tremont Hotel was the dominant structure there for many years. The Tremont Hotel was replaced by the Second National Bank.
February 3, 1916 In what was described at the time as, “the worst fire of the year,” the home of a former Police Commissioner Frank Wingate, on the corner of Cottage and East Pearl St. is heavily damaged by fire. Damage is estimated at $15,000.
August 25, 1916 Two boys were seen running away from barn number one of the Balcom Ice Company on Ash St. after which flames erupted. The spectacular fire involved the entire area surrounded by Kinsley, Palm, Buck, and Ash St. consuming several buildings. It was reported to be the worst fire Nashua had seen in over a decade. The Balcom Ice Company received a loss of $20,000 and was only partially insured. A tenement house on Ash St. received $5,000 in damage. A residence on Kinsley St. received $3,000 in damage. The fire was so intense, firefighters arriving at the scene were burned about their face and hands. Three hoses lying in the street reportedly caught fire.
December 6, 1916 A mysterious fire at the International Paper Box Machinery Company foundry located behind the Harbor School halted production of bullets that were produced there. The company was working on a large contract for ammunition for the allies during WWI, most specifically, for the French military. Author’s Note: The Harbor School was later the site of the James B. Crowley school on Lake St.
March 22, 1917 Present-day Nashuans are likely familiar with the Hillsborough County Superior Courthouse on Spring St. And most probably remember that this courthouse replaced what was the Spring St. Jr High school, built in 1919. What most probably don’t know is that this parcel of land was once a cemetery, attached to the Olive St Church which stood on what is now the Indian Head Plaza at the top of Temple St. Those buried in the cemetery were re-interred and the Spring St. School, then a high school, was built on the site. An early morning blaze, on March 22, 1917, completely destroyed the Spring St. School, the loss in excess of $100,000 with only $17,000 covered by insurance. It was said to be the most expensive fire in Nashua’s history to-date.
To replace the building and contents could take as much as $200,000. The roof burned off the building and each floor collapsed into the basement leaving only the walls standing. A newspaper article states, “The Spring St. building was begun in 1873 and was opened as the Nashua High School in 1875. It was the high school until the erection of the present high school less than 10 years ago, when it was changed to include the 4th to 9th grades inclusive. This year for the first time, the 9th grade was taken out of the building and put in as the junior high in the new building erected in the same yard east.” Author’s Note: The “new building erected in the same yard east” would be what was commonly known as the Quincy Building section of Spring St. Jr. High. This would mean that the tunnel between the main building and Quincy building was designed to run steam pipes for heating between the buildings. As late as 1914 when ground was broken for the Quincy Building, human bones, left over from this spot being a graveyard, were still found.
April 10, 1917 At 12:17 a.m. a man in his night clothes ran from the Arnold Building at the corner of Main & West Pearl St. and pulled Box 116 alerting firefighters to a blaze. A nearby police officer then went to the building to route the people in the building. Several men sleeping in the attic of the Arnold Building had hard work to escape the burning building. Chemical 1 was the first apparatus to arrive on the scene and found heavy fire in the Arnold and Parkinson Buildings and a small building located between the two other buildings. The chemical quickly had their ladders up and a stream in operation. Steamer 4 shortly followed the chemical at the scene. Ten minutes after arrival the fire chief sounded a General Alarm bringing all the city’s apparatus to the scene. Soon four steamers had 12 hose streams pouring water into the three burning buildings.
For a time, the flames threatened the Tremont House and the guests were evacuated. Fanned by a stiff wind, flames at times shot high into the sky. At other times the firemen would appear to have smothered the blaze down to a heavy smudge. The slate roof and the advertising signs appeared to spectators to handicap the firefighters in their contest. Cold temperatures also hampered firefighter’s efforts. A fire captain suffered severe injuries when he was thrown from a ladder. Author’s Note: Long-time Nashuans will remember this corner as the Sunlight Pharmacy in the 1950’s and 60’s, then Miller’s, then Alec’s Shoes. In 2021, the Alec’s building was razed and a Performing Arts Theater was built.
- Excerpted from Ledoux’s book: Nashua’s Bravest: The History of Firefighting in Nashua NH
- Reach Ledoux via email: [email protected]