Stories from the History of Nashua’s Police and Fire-Rescue Departments.
October 2, 1869: The City of Nashua purchases their first, horse-drawn steam-powered fire engine. In those days, fire engines (like ships) were given a name. This unit was placed in service on November 1, 1869 and named the Amoskeag Steamer Torrent No. 1. Along with the Union Hook and Ladder Truck, it was housed at the West Olive St. Station. (Again, this was more of a barn or shed and not a full-fledged fire house as we think of them today. It was located near what would later be the city’s main fire station on Court Street.)
A brief history of Amoskeag… Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. of Manchester, NH, manufactured a variety of fire engines, pumpers and support vehicles. Their first steam fire-engine was built in 1859. It was designed by N.S. Bean, and was named Amoskeag No. 1. This engine was in production for seventeen years. The firm constructed eleven more of this style engine. In 1866, they built their first double straight frame, in 1870, they added a crane-neck style, and in 1877, they offered what is known as the Single Short Frame. By 1877, over 700 vehicles had been sold, and in the spring of 1877, the firm changed management, and their company name to Manchester Locomotive Works; Manchester, NH, circa 1859-1900.
Continuing…. Horses in the fire service were a “new technology” that required men used to dealing with the animals. Maintaining station cleanliness was important as crew and horses (for full-time paid departments) were under one roof. Apparatus drivers were responsible for looking after the horses; making sure they were fed and exercised. The exercise route had to be close to the station in case of alarm. Once at the scene of a fire, the horses had to be unhitched and moved away from the fire. Cold or wet weather required covering the horses for protection. On return to the station, if the horses had been perspiring from a workout or wet from rain, they had to receive a rubdown and grooming. Maintenance for apparatus, and horses was a lot of work!
At that time, and to a large degree today, firemen were very proud of their engines and equipment. In 1869, hard feelings broke out between those firemen assigned to the shiny, new, state-of-the-art steamer, and those manning the older hand-pumped equipment. Everyone wanted something new and shiny.
On the evening of November 4, 1869, the alarm was sounded and the members of the Steamer Company found they did not need to go far; the fire was inside their firehouse! Their one thought was to save the shiny new Amoskeag steamer. But the windows had been nailed closed and the doors locked and barred. Upon breaking down the doors their trouble was not over. The wheels of the steamer had been nailed and chained to the floor. Despite being immovable, according to a Nashua Telegraph report, the firemen used the engine to fight the fire. At first it seemed like the fire would be contained. However, 15 minutes into the battle, a contiguous house caught fire. Fortunately, only the outside clapboards burned. Twenty minutes into the battle the walls of the firehouse gave in.
Then the Olive St. Congregational Church began to burn. Water from the Niagara Engine Co. No. 5 was turned on the building but water could not be brought high enough. A fresh crew was ordered to man the brakes (this was a hand-pumper… the “brake” was the handle firemen forced up and down in a see-saw motion to pump the water) and water pressure was increased enough to douse the flames. One report noted that the new Amoskeag Torrent Engine was “totally destroyed.” A small article in the following day’s Nashua Telegraph notes “The steamer Torrent was not wholly destroyed at the fire Thursday morning. Her boiler was not injured, and her balance wheels, cylinders, etc. are said to be good. She is thought to be worth $2,000 just as she stands now.” A full investigation followed but “the culprits were never apprehended.” The engine was sent to Amoskeag in Manchester to be rebuilt.
Given the degree of speculation and controversy surrounding the burning of the Olive St. firehouse on November 4, the remains of the station were examined on Nov 11 by an “expert.” (It is assumed that this was an early version of a Fire Marshal.) It was determined that the fire could not have been caused accidentally so, given the evidence within the rubble, and based on eye-witness testimony, it was determined that the blaze was deliberately set.
A temporary building was authorized to replace the burned Olive St. fire house. This was completed on November 25, 1869. This would house the steamer and a ladder carriage. The building was 24 x 40’, one story in height, all in one room. The building stood on the spot where the old firehouse had burned, the land being owned by the city, and not by private parties. It was built cheaply and roughly, with a temporary frame, boarded over and battened. A report noted, “…the engineer has a bed in the corner where he sleeps nights, and although the building does not ensure a great amount of comfort, it contained a huge stove for warmth.”
On January 10, 1870, a fully-repaired Torrent No. 1 steamer was returned to Nashua from the Amoskeag Works in Manchester. Soon after, Nashua Mayor Jotham Otterson approved the construction of what would become known as the Central Fire Station on what would become known as Court St. at a cost of $40,000. On December 28, 1870, the construction of the new Central Fire Station was completed, and would be placed in service February 9, 1871. It would serve the city for a little over 100 years, being decommissioned on September 13, 1971 with the opening of the then-new Conant Road Fire Station. The former Central Fire Station is now the home to Liquid Therapy Brewery and Grill.
Excerpted from “Nashua’s Bravest: The History of Firefighting in Nashua NH”
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 [email protected]
Click here for all of Gary Ledoux’s Yester-Heroes Archives