The story of firefighting in Hagerstown is almost as old as the town itself. From the bucket brigades in 1791 to the modern fire apparatus used today, the fire department of Hagerstown has played a significant role in protecting local citizens and structures from the ravages of fire. By highlighting the major components of the fire department, including firefighters, fire stations, and the blazes that have spread throughout the city, Images of America: Firefighting in Hagerstown chronicles over two centuries of protection in Hagerstown. This work touches on the dedication, sacrifice, and willingness to serve by the members of each fire company. With over 200 archival images, this volume highlights many rarely seen photographs, including horse-drawn equipment, firehouses, and many of Hagerstown's most challenging fires.
Since the 19th century, the Hagerstown Fire Department has consisted of the following companies: First Hagerstown Hose, Antietam Fire, Independent Junior Fire, Western Enterprise Fire, Pioneer Hook & Ladder, and, since 1950, South Hagerstown Fire. In about 1895, the Hagerstown Fire Department began the transition from an all-volunteer force to a combination volunteer/career force. This second collection of historic firefighting images is a chronology of the Hagerstown Fire Department from 1791 to 2005. During that period, there were significant advances in firefighting equipment, technology, and firefighting training. In this volume, more than 200 images capture the firefighters and fire apparatus in action at fires and also the daily activities defining each era. Whether they were using buckets, hand- or horse-pulled apparatus, or half-million dollar motorized equipment, the firefighters of Hagerstown have always faced challenges with courage. The images in this volume bring to life the men and women who sacrificed so much.
This will help us customize your experience to showcase the most relevant content to your age group
Please select from below
Login
Not registered?
Sign up
Already registered?
Success – Your message will goes here
We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.