The Fire Company of Leesburgh was incorporated on November 15, 1803 with no mention of fire apparatus. It is assumed that the fire company was using bucket brigades and hand tools to extinguish fires.
In 1809, a “Relief” Fire Company was organized. A relief company is usually like an auxiliary company which is used to augment and assist a larger, existing fire company. It is assumed that a hand pumper is in use at this time but it is still unknown what type is being used.
On Friday, January
29, 1819, a large brick house on Market Street caught fire and threatened the
town. This significant event would prove to be a turning point for both the
Fire Companies and the Town. According to accounts, a steady wind was feeding
the flames and before they could establish a bucket brigade to move water to
the engine, the entire roof of the house was enveloped in flames. Eventually
the fire was extinguished but it was apparent that the current hand engine was
inadequate for the job. Days later, the Town purchased a new hand pumper and
the old engine was kept in reserve.
On September 5,
1859, the Town Council “ordered that the
Water Works Committee be authorized to have a Tub made of sufficient dimensions
for the use of the United Fire Company to be used in the absence of a cistern.
Said Tub to be placed upon wheels.” The early, hand-operated
engines were often referred to as “firefighting tubs” or “handtubs” and
required a bucket brigade to keep them full of water. By the mid-1800s,
however, many fire engines had the capability to draft water from nearby rivers
or ponds, thus reducing the need to fill a tub with water. The two engines in
Leesburg were not able to draft and still relied on bucket brigades to supply
them with water. The Town Council was either requesting a “water box” or “tub”
placed on the existing engine or asking for a large wheeled tub to transport a
large amount of water from a cistern to the fire engine. If the latter is
correct, this would have been the first “tanker truck” in Loudoun County.
Throughout the
1800’s, when the newspaper reported on fires it was often noted that “the machine” wouldn’t work.” Fires usually occurred in the winter and
the pumpers were stored in an unheated shed, freezing any water left in them.
The lack of use dried out the leather causing cracks and leaks while the ice
would have jammed up the pump.
On January 15, 1877, Captain Cockey of the fire
department reported to the Town Council that the Company was “unable to carry all the hose we have to a
fire, there being no method of conveyance, as the Hose Carriage will not carry
more than 350 feet of hose and we have about 700 feet of available hose.”
On December 31, 1877, another significant blaze occurred at Mr. Hammerley’s
large frame house. Once again, the engine wouldn’t work and the “long discarded” engine “Virginia” was
pressed into service to assist with the pumping.
On January 4, 1878,
Chief Cockey reported to the Town Council on the five fires that occurred in
Leesburg during 1877. “The apparatus are
all in good order and we have 300 feet of good hose. We have also about 120
feet of leather hose which has been in use since before the war and cannot now
be relied upon in an emergency. At Mr. Hammerlys fire the engine forced a
stream of water through 720 feet of hose and threw the water on top of Mrs.
Thompson’s house. I would call your attention to the fact that the pumps cannot
be relied upon in time of fire; as they soon, uniformly give out from the heavy
strain upon them, and I would suggest the putting down of more cisterns. I
would also state; as in my last report, that we have no way of carrying more
than 400 feet of hose to a fire.
It wasn’t until the
May 13, 1881 Council meeting that the items requested by the Fire Department
were finally being purchased - an engine costing $520.00 and a hose carriage
costing $148.00. The engine
and reel arrived by rail on July 1st and a celebration was held to
mark their housing.
In October 1899, the Sandborn Map Publishing Company reported
that the Fire Department was composed of forty-eight men, split equally between
the two companies and each man was paid $5.00 per year. There were two hand
engines no steam engines and no “independent hose carts”. In 1890, the Chief
reported to the Town Council that there had been no fires for the previous
year. “The apparatus is in working order but as the
packing in the old engine has been in it for 20 years, it may be somewhat
rotten and not as sound as it was when it was first put in and I would suggest
that the engine be overhauled and new packing and valves be put in it. We have
now but 900 feet of good hose on hand”. The Chiefs 1891 report included one fire for the
year and the following – “The old engine
wants an overhauling which it will receive as soon as the leather comes for
packing it. The new engine is in good order. The 500 feet of leading hose
ordered by the Council has not yet been purchased. It is needed as the old hose
is beginning to give out. Some of it has been in use for 19 years.”
A significant
change occurred in 1907 when the Town improved the water system. With the
additional hydrants and increased water pressure, the hand pumpers were thought
to be obsolete. The Town Council assembled a committee of four to ascertain if
they could dispose of the old fire engines and to “secure prices for new hose
pipe.” The next month, that committee reported that they favorable chances of disposing of the fire engines. The
committee was authorized to advertise the engines and some of their equipment
for sale at the best possible price. As far as we can tell, one of those two
engines was bought in 1819 and overhauled in 1860. The other engine and a hose
reel were purchased in 1881. Both engines were overhauled in 1893 and it is
unknown how old the other hose reel was at this time. There is no confirmation
that these two engines were sold and the last record of them is found in the
December 1907 Sandborn report which notes that the Town is still in possession
of “2 old hand
engines.” It
is not known how long they were kept or what happened to them.
In July 9, 1907, the Council paid the bill of
$910.00 to the Eureka Fire Hose Company, for the purchase of two new hose,
reels, and nozzles. Later that year, - the Sandborn Map
Publishing Company once again surveyed the Town of Leesburg. There were two new
hose carts, each carrying five hundred feet of the new C.R.L. (Cotton Rubber
Lined) hose. In addition, the Town still had the two old hand engines and two
old hose reels with eight hundred feet of two-inch hose. There was one
extension ladder and a bell alarm continued to be used for fire notification.
From here on, there is no more mention of the hand pumpers. It is
assumed that they are primarily using the hose reels and fire hydrants to
extinguish fires and that there is no other apparatus on hand.
On February 2, 1925, the Leesburg High School was destroyed by fire. The hose had to be stretched to the fire hydrants which were located a good distance away. This resulted in low water pressure and made controlling the fire difficult. It was after this blaze that the Fire Company collaborated with the Town Council on the design of the first motorized pumper. Later that year, this brand new 1925 Seagrave fire engine was purchased by the Town.
1925 Seagrave Suburbanite
- Triple combination pumper purchased for
$6500.00.
- Capable of forcing a stream of water 75 feet
in the air.
- Top speed 35MPH!
- Equipped with a chemical pump and
extinguishers
- 250 feet of chemical hose and 1250 of fire
hose
Description from
the Loudoun Times Mirror, October 8, 1925
1925 Seagrave Pumper
Photo - LVFC
1925 Graham - Dodge
Ladder Truck
Also in 1925, the Leesburg Firemen raised money through fund drives in order to purchase a Dodge-Graham pumper. with a stretched frame which carried extra ladders and equipment. The engine arrived first and was designated "Company No. 1" and the ladder truck became "Company No. 2".
1925 Dodge Ladder Truck
Photo - LVFC
This truck began as a Graham pumper which explains why our ladder truck has a chemical tank and a hose basket similar to most of the pumpers of the time. The Graham brothers company built their first truck in 1919 in Evansville, Indiana. It was then that they offered their products as a frame, cab, body, and driveline, which allowed customers to finish off the truck to suit their needs. The Graham brothers mechanical design was virtually indestructible, a fact that was recognized by many companies needing a good heavy-duty truck. Recognizing a successful product when he saw it, the president of Dodge, Frederick J. Haynes, purchased a majority interest in Graham in 1920. It was then that the two companies began a successful relationship that would bring a large degree of success to Dodge. This would continue until Walter P. Chrysler’s acquisition of Dodge in 1927, when the Graham name was officially changed to Dodge.
The Frye Motor Company was a Dodge dealership located in Leesburg on Market street in what is now the old Times Mirror building across from the Courthouse. Mr. Leon Frye of the dealership was also a Fire Company member. He saw to it that the truck was lengthened by cutting and extending the frame and reworking the transmission and drive shaft.
From the beginning, the ladder truck was difficult to drive. Its length required extra caution when making turns and the weight of the ladders made it top heavy. In a 1981 Times Mirror article, Jim Anderson remembered that Fire Company drivers had to get checked out on the ladder truck first because if they could handle it, they could drive anything. The ladder truck was moved to the center of the fire station in 1929, when the new Seagrave pumper arrived, making it difficult to get in and out. Used less and less over the years, the ladder truck was removed from service and went to work for the Town as a utility vehicle in 1945.
1929 Seagrave Pumper
In 1929, the Leesburg Volunteers purchased their own pumper. This new fire truck was used for "out of town" calls for which the Company was compensated by Loudoun County. Being the third unit put in service, it was designated "Company No. 3". This fire truck has been fully restored and is still in use today as a parade piece and is known affectionately as "The Antique" or "Old Number Three"
1929 Seagrave Pumper at the Factory
Photo - LVFC
The 1947 Buffalo pumper
· Purchased
new in 1929
· Half
paid by the Town, Half paid by Fire Company
· 100
Gallon Water Tank
· 500
GPM Seagrave Single-Stage Pump
· Hercules
6-Cylinder Gasoline Engine
· 3
Speed Manual Transmission
In 1929,
the Fire Company needed another fire engine. The 1925 Seagrave was owned by the
Town but being used to respond to fires all over Northern Virginia. The Town
Council was concerned about spending the money of its citizens for the benefit
of the rest of the County. The Fire Company wanted to be able to run calls
where ever they were needed, without first getting permission from the Mayor,
so on April 8, 1929, Fire Chief L. T. Frye, went to the council, and asked that the
Town pay one half of the purchase price of a new fire truck and the Fire
Company would pay for the other half. It was unanimously voted by the council
to accept the offer. That year, the Firemen’s carnival was promoted to raise
money for the purchase of the new pumper. The new Seagrave was delivered to Leesburg on a rail car by way of New York City and just like its predecessor, saw service at
fires all over Northern Virginia. With the arrival of the new Seagrave pumper
in 1937, the ’29 was moved to in-town calls, eventually becoming a reserve unit
when the Buffalo arrived in 1947. For years after, it sat in storage until
1986, when the Fire Company sent it out to be fully restored to its original
state. Today, Old Number 3 is a great source of pride for the Fire Company.
The newly restored 1929 Seagrave pumper on display at Station 1
Photo - LVFC
1937 Seagrave Pumper
The 1937 Seagrave pumper
LVFC Collection
At the February 15, 1937, meeting, the Company discussed the need for
additional and more modern equipment. The firemen felt that the community was
entitled to more protection than they were able to give with the 1929 Seagrave.
The membership voted to purchase a new fire truck and a committee was
appointed, headed by Chief Louis Atwell, with Len and Herb Frye, and Harry
Newton. Once again, the Fire Company entered into an agreement with the Town to
split the cost of the new fire truck. Seagrave eventually won the contract and
the 1937 Seagrave pumper was delivered that December. It became Company 1,
replacing the 1925 Seagrave, and was used primarily for in town calls. Often
referred to as the Big Seagrave, it went to reserve status in 1954 when the GMC
arrived. It was barely operational when the Company decided to sell it in 1968.
In 1969, with no buyers, the Company gave it to Morven Park. Three years later,
the Company asked for it back, with the intention of restoring it. Once
returned, the Seagrave sat for years and was eventually sold.
Tom Donahoe (L) and Billy Fiske (R) Look on as the old 1937 Seagrave is delivered
LVFC collection
1940 Buick Ambulance
Example of a 1940 Buick Ambulance – No photos of LVFC Ambulance
available
In 1938, the Fire
Company started a First Aid Squad and purchased equipment. One week after the
1940, Lovettsville Air Disaster, Dave McDonald suggested that the Company buy a
used Buick ambulance. The Membership agreed and the new ambulance was outfitted
with a cot and first aid equipment. It was used to take people to the hospital
at no charge, just donations, and to carry extra firemen to calls. It traveled
as far as Washington D.C. and Martinsburg before being removed from service in
1956, the year that the Loudoun County Rescue Squad was formed.
1947 Buffalo
LVFC Collection
·
Purchased in 1946, delivered a year later
·
500 gal. water tank
·
500 gpm pump
In March 1942, the 29 Seagrave blew its motor on
the way to a fire in Waterford. The Company voted that if the town buys a new
motor, the company will start a fund drive to purchase a new out of town truck.
The following month, the Mayor made it clear that he wanted the County people to pay
for the new truck for out of town calls. To make this happen, the Fire Company
started a campaign for citizens of the county to raise money to buy a new fire
engine. This would be the first fire truck purchased without the Towns help.
The
Company looked at several manufactures including the Oren Fire Truck Company
out of Roanoke Virginia and Buffalo Fire Trucks, for a truck with a 300-gallon
tank and ten-man cab, partly closed or entirely closed. Buffalo won the bid
and the new truck was purchased in January 1946; however, by that October, the
new fire truck had not been built. Buffalo said it would be ready in January
but wasn’t. The Company began looking into retaining a lawyer to break the
contract, when the Buffalo was finally delivered in April. Its large enclosed
cab allowed more men to ride inside, making it ideal for out of town calls. The
Buffalo remained in service until 1973, when a sealed bidding process was used
to sell it to the highest bidder. At the February 18, 1974, Company Meeting, it
was noted that Old 1-3 (Buffalo) was being driven around town with “Leesburg
Fire Company” still on it and causing trouble.
President Jerry Smith (L) Chief Tom Watson (R) and the high bidder of the Buffalo in the cab, about to drive off with his new toy.
LCFV Archive
Looking at a barn fire from across the hood of the 47 Buffalo
LVFC Archive Photo circa 1960
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