The daily gazette., 1882-12-23
THE FRIENDSHIP.
A Brief History of an Old Engine Com
nanv.


Inasmuch as the Friendship Engine Com
pany of this city was 107 years old yester-
day the following concise history of the
organization may be of interest to flremen
and others On the 22d of December, 1775,
IA persons, feeling the necessity of some
protection against fire, organized themselves
into company and called it the Friendship
Fire Company No. ], of Wilmington, Del.
Each member pledged himself to furnish,
during fire, two leather buckets and a
large wicker basket with two handles, and
when a member left his house, upon an
alarm of fire at night, he was obliged leave
a lighted candle in the window for the pur-
pose of informing passing member that he
had gone to the fire. If no candle was to
be seen it became the duty of the member
passing to stop and awake the sleeper.
The following is list OF the members of
the company at that time Jacob Broome,
Isl aei Brown, Nicholas Way, Job Harvey,
John Thelwell, John White, Patrick O'Flinn,
Joshua jackson, John Marion, Daniel j.
Adams, John Moore, Philip Bonsall, Francis
Robinson, John Mckinley, John Ferris,
David Brinton, Henry Troth, Benjamin
Alricks, William Pluright, John Springer,
John Betson, David Park, Henry Pasehall,
Nathan Miner, William Woodcock, JohI
Trip, Robert Hamilton, Joseph Gilpin,
Jonathan Rumfold, Jacob Fussill, Bancroft
Woodcock, Joseph Warner, William
Cook, obediah Dingee, Nathan Wood,
James Brobson, Ralph Walker,
Joseph Townsend, Vincent Gilpen, Peter
Brynberg, Benjamin Mendinhall, Nicholas
Sellers, John Clark, Joseph Lawson, Thomas
Wilson, James Robinson ,Jr., ,Bezalell Bently,
George Speakman, Samuel Bush, Henry
Reynolds, William Robinson, Jacob Sellers,
Thomas Jefferis, John Bush, Joseph Daw-
son, Joseph Poole, John Way, William
Hemphill, John Fondray, James Gilmore,
James Lee, Jr,, Thomas May, James Glib
bons, William Poole, John White, Arthur
Thomas, Benjamin Cook, John Kendall ,Jr.,
Timothy Hanson, William Wilson, James
jackson, Peter Justice.
These members elected William Hemphill
as their first President.
Some time after the organization of the
company they procured an old pumping
engine from French frigate. During thar
time there were no fire plugs, and the engine
had to be fed by buckets. The company
used the engine for a number of years when
they procured one of more modern style
aud build. This one was used until their
present one was built 1t was contracted
for on the LIST Of April, 1869, and arrived
here on July Sd of the same year. 1t is a
second-class Gould improved Amosksag,
and has done noble duty.
The first house of the company was built
on Market street above Sixth, where the
Smith Building now stands. The house
was two-story frame building, with a
tower and bell. From there the company
removed to frame building at the North
west corner of Ninth and King, thence to
Orange street above Tenth, to the building
now occupied by the colored Odd Fellows.
They remained there until they removed to
their present location, in 1859. This house
was contracted for in 1855 and was finished
In one year.
The Oldest member of the company now
living is John B. Lewis, who joined the or
ganiZation in 1916.