Name of Featured Place:
City of Newburgh Fire Department, Newburgh, NY

Name: Michael G.

Grade: 5th Spec. Ed.

Library Teacher: Mrs. Wright Jumpp

Classroom Teacher: Mrs. Dolfinger/Ms. Shirley

My research question:

How, why and when did the City of Newburgh Fire Department change their equipment to make the community safe?

Collage of
City of Newburgh Fire Truck Back-in-the-Day

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Water Buckets - City of Newburgh's Bucket Brigade
(“18th Century”)

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I Notice

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I Wonder

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1. The buckets are old and different from the water buckets they use now.

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1. How did they fill up the water buckets?
2. How did they make the water bucket?
3. Where do they put the water buckets?

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I want to research the fire department because I am interested in the trucks and how they operate them. When I grow up I would like to join the fire department and become a fireman. I want to help people when they are in danger.

The City of Newburgh's Fire Department is one of the oldest departments in the State of New York. The fire department was started on March 24, 1797. In 1795, when the Newburgh Academy almost burned down, the citizens saved the school. After that the citizens formed their own bucket brigade. A law was made that gave each household buckets, and when there was a fire the citizens had to go to the river and put water into the buckets. They formed a line from the river to the burning house and they would pass the buckets to the burning house. The oldest fire house that was built for this bucket brigade is still standing at the Broadway location (“18th Century”).

Fire Horses
(“Fire Horses | Newburgh, NY”)

I Notice

I Wonder

1. They did not use trucks they used horses back then.
2. The horses drew carriages.
3. The horses were controlled by men.

1. How did they get the horses to be fire horses?
2. Where did they put the horses after they were done?

1894 was the first time when fire horses began drawing wagons. Before that, men had to pull the carts and engines by using their hands and sometimes they would get run over and get injured by the wheels. The very first fire horse in Newburgh was known as Old Skate. In 1907 there was an accident that killed two of three fire horses. The day it happened, instead of waiting for the driver, they ran off down Broadway and ran into a pole. Two of the horses were crushed to death. That accident brought an end to fire horse wagons in Newburgh (“Fire Horses | Newburgh, NY”).

I think people must have felt sad and disappointed after that accident. I wonder if they tried to save them. They may have had to bring them to an animal hospital, if they had one back then.

Steam Engines
(“First Steam Engine”)

In 1872 the City of Newburgh's Fire Department had its first steam engine. The steam engine sent water 161 feet high and the water landed on the cross of the Saint Patrick Church. The people were excited that the water went so high in the sky (“First Steam Engine”).

Some other fire companies continued to use hand pumps to put out fires and this caused a whole block to burn down in June 1873. A lumber yard, a coal factory, a warehouse, a dock, barge and carpenter shop were burned down because of that (Ibid).

A big fire like that must have affected the community. People may not have been able to get material or use boats since they needed the docks. The owners may not have been able to rebuild their stores. Their families and the community may have suffered.

I Notice

1. The men are in old fire suits.
2. The fire station is old.
3. The fire truck is old.
4. How old the picture of the fire station is.

I Wonder

Old Fire Truck
(“Motorized Fire Trucks”)

1. Who built the fire truck?
2. How old the fire truck is?
3. If the fire truck is still around.
4. If I can go see the fire truck.

In 1907 the first motorized fire truck was brought to Colden Street in Newburgh. At first there was a fire truck with only two cylinders but it couldn't make it up the steep hill. They replaced it with four cylinders and it made it up the hill (“Motorized Fire Trucks”).

Colden Street Fire - 1927

(“Colden Street Fire - 1927 on Vimeo”)

I Notice

I Wonder

1. The fire was huge.

2. There were many firemen.

I wonder did anyone get hurt?