| This is an unofficial Sioux City
Fire Department Web Site! |
Fire
Department History
The Sioux City fire department had a modest beginning in
1869-1870 when Sioux City was a frontier village. The first Hook &Ladder truck (with
buckets) was purchased for $65. In 1874 a more formal fire department was organized. In
addition to a steam fire engine and the Hook & Ladder truck, the department had two
hose carts, drawn by hand.
The water supply consisted of cisterns, the largest one located under the central fire
house. At this time there was no waterworks system. In 1881 the city purchased a team of
horses for use in drawing the steam engine to fires. During the time hand hose carts were
used, there was considerable rivalry among the various companies in the matter of
promptness in getting to fires. The days of the horse drawn carts, were the romantic days
of the department - romantic for both fireman and townspeople. No one who lived in those
days will forget the thrill of seeing the horse drawn carts rolling rapidly on the way
to a fire to the combined music of clanging gong, rattling vehicle and beating horse
hoofs, with the accompaniment of ring fire bells or moaning waterworks whistle in the
distance. Sioux City was known for Paddy & Prince, the famous fire steeds that one
held the worlds record, with their crew, for a stall start,hitching, running half-mile,
laying out 150 feet of flat hose, and attaching nozzle and couplings.
THIS HOME PAGE IS NOT OFFICIALLY
SANCTIONED BY THE SIOUX CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Link to offical
Sioux City Fire Department Web Site!
This site was designed using Microsoft FrontPage '98.
Some enhancements such as the 'sound files' may work only if using Microsoft
Internet Explorer version 4.x or higher.
Added obituary of A. J. Pruvot (chief electrican for
the fire department). I have exceeded storage restrictions for this site and am in the
process of revising it to accommodate more station photos.
The caretakers of this site are busy compiling the history of the Sioux City
Fire Department (1869 - 1998). It will be broken down into six volumes.
Volume One - THE CHIEFS
Volume Two - BUCKET BRIGADES & FIRE
HORSES
Volume Three - THE FIRE STATIONS
Volume Four - APPARATUS
Volume Five - FOUR ALARMS
Volume Six - ROLL CALL
|
This page was last updated on 10/10/02
Webmaster: rich2493@mchsi.com
Any use of copyrighted material is totally unintentional, and any such material will be
immediately removed from this site upon notification from the copyright holder.
See my World War One site devoted to the 88th Cloverleaf
Division
http://www.historian.itgo.com/index.htm
This EMS-Fire Web Ring site is owned by 
