Stories from the History of Nashua’s Police and Fire-Rescue Departments


Firefighting has always been a dangerous job. In fact, just getting to the scene of the fire is wracked with peril. Today, most firefighters ride to the scene inside the safety of an enclosed-cab fire apparatus, safe from the elements, and safe (for the most part) from collisions with other vehicles, or colliding into fixed objects like telephone poles. But before the turn of the last century, firefighters had to deal with what were sometimes unwieldy wagons with non-pneumatic wheels, carrying the enormous weight of a steam-powered water pump pulled by horses that sometimes had a mind of their own.
Despite the unfortunate events that befell Nashua Firefighter Robert Poff, one must wonder about why or how such an event didn’t happen sooner. Although, at this point, Nashua had only been incorporated, and with an official fire dept. since 1853 (42 years) some semblance of organized firefighting had been going on since 1824, a total of 71 years… 71 years without a line-of duty death. But eventually… it had to happen.
On November 1, 1892, in a realignment of personnel and equipment, Robert Poff had been transferred from his job as a driver at the Central Fire Station on Court Street, to the new fire station on Arlington St., which had been placed in service just a few months before. Author’s Note: There are today two out-of-service fire houses on Arlington Street. The one mentioned above would have been the station on the north side of the lot or on the left if facing the stations.

February 21, 1895 At 8:40 a.m. Box 57 was struck at the Mulberry St. school. In responding to the fire, Robert Poff, driver of Engine 3 out of Arlington St. Station was thrown from his engine and killed while rounding the corner at Arlington and E. Hollis St. making him the first Nashua firefighter killed in the line of duty. Author’s Note: The fire was on the corner of Mulberry and Elm St. As of 2021 it was occupied by the Nashua Health Dept. and undergoing extensive renovation. The Nashua Telegraph of February 21, 1895 provided the following account of Robert Poff’s accident:
An alarm of fire, a terrible accident, and family deprived of husband and father is the sad story of this morning in Nashua.
Robert Poff, popular manly, brave and efficient, the careful driver of Steamer No. 3, drove to his death while responding to a call of duty, and not a heart in the city but felt a throb of sorrow when the facts of the terrible accident were related.
The accident happened just west of the junction of East Hollis and Arlington St. Rounding the corner from Arlington St. the turn was safely made through the maintenance of the rapidly going horses made the wheel of the steamer slide on the icy street and a wide sweep was made almost to edge of the sidewalk on the north side of the street. Driver Poff brought his team well up to the left and cleared the stone post in front of Morin and Sanborn’s store. About 12 feet from the edgestone post stands two telephone poles some five feet apart. As he passed the post Mr. Poff was seen to look around to see if he cleared it and then glance quickly at the telephone pole as the front wheels passed. They had a good margin and he must have thought he was safe, past the dangerous poles. But the hind wheels took a sudden slew as he came back towards the center of the street and the hub of the right wheel came up against the first pole with terrible force and threw Mr. Poff down towards the horse’s hoofs. So hard was the collision that a deep indenture was made in the pole and large piece torn off the side. The whiffletree of the steamer were broken and the jar to the steamer was severe. After striking the steamer cleared the telephone pole and about 35 feet from where it stands, the horses came to a stop and when Mr. H.L. Morse and another man could rush to the scene they found Mr. Poff lying in the snow, bleeding severely from his ears and neck. He was tenderly picked up and carried into Morse and Sanborn’s store. Drs. Underhill and Wallace were quickly called and endeavored to save the man’s life but it was useless. He was bleeding intensely from a severed artery in his neck and was unconscious.
Mr. Poff’s wife and brother were notified and soon came to his side, but he never recognized them. The ambulance was called and took the injured man to his home but he died on the way.
Robert Poff left behind a wife and two children, one 4 years old and the other 10-months. Robert Poff was 32 years old, had been born in Hudson. He started his career with the Nashua Fire Dept. at the Central Fire Station and about two and half year’s prior was appointed driver of Steamer No. 3 stationed at Arlington St. Poff had never before had an accident while on duty and was noted as a careful driver. The following day, a service was held at the Main St. Methodist Church. Over 2,000 people reportedly attended including a delegation from the Manchester Fire Dept.
Excerpted from Nashua’s Bravest: The History of Firefighting in Nashua NH by Gary Ledoux

Yester-Heroes 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