St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-03

there were several efforts to organize
fire department., but ali failed. When
water works were put in, however,
fire department became practicable, and
at the council meeting of Oct. Is, 1867,
Aid. George A. Bracket offered the
following resolution:
Resolved, That the committee on
fire department be authorized to pur-
chase out of any funds to the credit of
the fire department, not otherwise APP
propriated, truck, hooks and ladders,
and such other necessary equipment
for the organization of hook and lad
der company, provided twenty or more
citizens organize such a fire company.
and give sufficient pledges to make 1t
an active organization"
No one took hold of the project, how
ever, and the attempt met the fate OF
its predecessors. At the council meet
ing of Jan. II, 1868, Aid. Isaac Atwater
offered the following resolution. which
was adopted:
Resolved, That R. II. Conwell. H.
A. Gale and Maj. A. B. Bracket are
authorized and empowered to raise and
form hook and ladder company, for
the purpose of protecting the city
against fire, not exceeding fifty mem
bers, and to report name and by
laws under which said company shall
be organized, the members of said
company and the regulations governing
the same to be Subjectto the approval of
the mayor of Minneapolis until the
common council further directs"
The committee named made out
list of members, and fifty citizens met
Jan. 20 at the council chamber, in the
Pence opera house block, with Mayor
DOriluS Morrison in the chair, when
company was formed under the name
of the Minneapolis Fire company, with
the following officers: Foreman, Ed
LippencOtt; first assistant, i. H.
Nable; second ssistant, III. g. Hicks;
secretary, r. ii. Conwell; treasurer, E.
M. Marshall.
An adjournment was taken to Jan.
% to further perfect arrangements. On
the morning of that day, also, number
of citizens, the majority of whom did
business on Nicollet and Washington
avenues, believing that it was impracti-
cable to run two branches of a fire de-
partment under one head, met at Bonds
restaurant. which was located at what
is now 81 Washington avenue south,
and formed "HoSe Company No. IL
with the following officers: Foreman,
/. II. Nable; first assistant, NJ. M.
Cruikshank; second assistant, A. II.
Beal; secretary, q. W. Sherman; treas
urer, E. NJ. Marshall.
A committee was appointed to wait
upon the council, which held special
meeting the following day, when the
matter was discussed, and Aid. Atwater
amended his original motion so as to
increase the membership of the depart
ment to 100, and authorized the COM
mittee to organize two or more COM
panies as it deemed proper. A meeting
of both organizations was held in the
council chamber that evening, and
after the situation was talked over it
was decided to organize two hose COM
panies and hook and ladder COM
pany. Those wishing to join the hook
and ladder company separated them
selves from those wishing to join the
hose companies. Those wishing to
join Hose Company No. then took the
council part of the chamber, and those
wishing to join No. 2 took the side OF
the room occupied by the city justice of
the peace. The two companies organ
lied and elected officers. AS the hook
and ladder company had been left with
out any table or chairs, their company
adjourned upon the motion of "Simon
Pure'' Snyder to the following night,
when it was organized.
And so the fire department of Mime
apoliS was started, and the formal
organization as department occurred
Jan. 30, when G. A. Bracket was
elected chief, r. b. Langdon first
assistant and Paris Gibson second
assistant.