Evening journal., 1908-12-18

were required to stop and notify him
of the fire.
AT the time Of the institution Of tho !
company the Borough OF Wilmington
had I'm its possession two hand fire
engines, and the company petltioneo
for and was granted the use ond con
troll of them. Tho following is a record
OF the presenting and granting of the
petition:
Wilmington. Del. December %. 1775.
1.-The burgess and his assistants met
and the petition was presented by
Elisha Jones. Jonathan Rumford ane
John Ferris i'm behalf Of the Friend.
ship Fire Company. No. /. praying that
the burgess and his assistants would
grant them the possession of the two
fire engines belonging 10 the borough
I'm order to exercise them and the said
company TO be ready to act I'm any
part of the town on the occasion of "a
fire. The petition being reasonable
was granted"
HAD TWO HAND ENGINES.
At the time of the granting Of this
petition. DR.. John McGinley occupied
tho position of burgess and was also
member Of the Friendship Company
These two engines remained in the
possession Of the Friendship Company
until 1910, when one Of them was given
10 the Washington Fire Company upon
its institution. The other one went 10
pieces shortly after the fire at Nc
Lanes cotton mill. which was situ-
ated at the southwest corner of Tenth
and Orange streets. During that period
running through the Revolutionar,
/ War fire matters i'm Wilmington came
| to standsttll. Peace being declared
J the company got down TO business
again, as the records show that i'm 1884
! the company sent a petition 10 tho
Town Council praying for the use of
the Town Hall for "a meeting place
/ This request was granted. This hall
stood at the corner Of Second and
Market streets. and was called the
Town Hall. or the Common Hall. The
company met there in October. l7Si
and held their first meeting in a public
place. This meeting was presided
I over by Bancroft Woodcock The first
house owned by the company stood on
Sixth street, near Market. It was re-.
moved. however, in the year 1887. 90
Queen street, now Fifth. as the follow-
ing petition will prove:
"Town Hail, October s. 1887.
"By the committee of the Friendship
Fire Company. No. 1, it being repre-
sented to this house that the enElu
house is in q ruinous state by reason
of the situation in which It stands he
ing exposed TO the sun.
BE 1t Resolved, That the said en-
gine house be removed to a lot OF
Joseph Warner. of Queen street by tn.
Friendship Fire Company and this
house will dcfray the expenses thereof
Joseph Warner having agreed not Il
char ge any rent for the ground OF
which It is TO stand. In case the saio
Joseph Warner. or nearest assigns
should want to erect a house on the
aforesaid lot, upon ten days motto,
from the said Joseph Warner, IN,
same shall be removed at the eXpens,
of the corporation"
The expense of removing this house
was ST. 900 1t stood ON Queen street
fnow Fifth, between Market and Ship.
ley streets. and was of frame. Th.
company occupied these quarters unu
the year 1900. when they built a new
house on the northeast corner of Sixtl
, and Shiplcv streets, which house wa.
y @ two-story frame with a belfry at
T, tached. The company's next move
, was in 1920. to a site now occupied b,
] the Smith building on Market street
5 below Seventh This was the hom
of the company until 1916. when st re
\ moved to Ninth and King streets. AM
q from there in 1s49 to Orange abov
b Tenth In 1853 the company mad
"A their next move to Shipley and Tent
1 streets. The company remained ther
until the new home on Tatnall stree
a was finished last year.
MEMBERS PROUD OF RECORD.
A historian writes this of the com
o pany.