This page contains a chronological listing of information on Boston Fire Department activity, across all types of categories, from 1880 to 1889. The listings contained within this page will be updated on a continual basis, as new information becomes available. Information on some ‘Fires’ and ‘Line of Duty Deaths’ will be found in the Chronology. Use the link to Fires and Line of Duty Deaths to see more complete listings.
| YEAR | DATE | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | January 2 | Brown S. Flanders was appointed Superintendent of Fire Alarms. |
| 1880 | March 31 | The first Fire Department Ball was held at the Music Hall. |
| 1880 | April 20 | The ‘Roll of Merit’ was established. The first members to be enrolled were Senior Ladderman E.B. Smith and Captain George F. Griffin, Ladder Company 8 and Ladderman T.E. Simonds, Ladder Conmpany 1. |
| 1880 | July 31 | Ladder Company 12 was organized at the quarters of Hose Company 7, 1046 Tremont Street, Roxbury. |
| 1880 | September 1 | Engine Company 25 received a new Silsby steam engine, C/N #647. |
| 1880 | September 30 | Engine Company 12 moved from 198 Dudley Street, Roxbury, to 407 Dudley Street, Roxbury, the former Ladder 4 quarters. |
| 1880 | October 30 | Ladder Company 4 moved from 20 Eustis Street, Roxbury, to 198 Dudley Street, Roxbury, formerly occupied by Engine Company 12. |
| 1880 | Aerial Ladder 1 (with the Scott-Uda truck) moved from Fort Hill Square to 1171 Washington Street, South End, and a permanent driver was assigned. | |
| 1880 | The first sliding pole was installed in Engine 4’s firehouse at 5 Bulfinch Street, Downtown. Also installed were swinging harnesses elevated above the hitch to allow for quicker hitching of horses to the apparatus. | |
| 1881 | April 16 | The first ‘keyless’ fire alarm box was installed at Box 42, Winter Street at Central Place, eliminating the necessity of finding a key to open the box to send in an alarm of fire. |
| 1881 | The fireboat ‘William M. Flanders’ moved from Central Wharf to India Wharf. | |
| 1882 | February 28 | The first department telephone system was placed in service, replacing the dial telegraph system in use since 1874. |
| 1882 | March 20 | The first water tower, not numbered, was placed in service at Fort Hill Square. The tower was built by A. Greenleaf and could be extended to heights of 29, 36, 43 and 50 feet. |
| 1882 | April 1 | The city had a total of 307 fire alarm boxes in service. |
| 1882 | April 18 | The Water Tower was used at a fire for the first time. |
| 1882 | May 10 | Engine Company 2 and Hose Company 12 exchanged quarters. Engine 2 moved to 863 East Fourth Street. Hose Company 12 moved to 715 East Fourth Street, South Boston. |
| 1882 | August 7 | General Order #204 established the ‘All-Out’ signal 22-22 will be sounded on tapper bells after all alarms. | 1882 | December 21 | Chief Engineer William A. Green assigned the new ‘St. Louis-style ‘pompier’ ladders to be carried on Ladders 1, 3 and 8. |
| 1883 | June 30 | Ladder Company 13 was organized with a Hayes aerial ladder truck at 1171 Washington Street, South End. Aerial Ladder 1 moved to Fort Hill Square and was designated Ladder Company 14. The Water Tower was moved from Fort Hill Square to 5 Bulfinch Street, Downtown. |
| 1883 | July 10 | Engine Company 30 was organized at the quarters of Chemical Engine Company 7 on Mt. Vernon Street, West Roxbury, using the 1870 Hunneman steamer, ex-West Roxbury Engine 2. Chemical Engine Company 7 was disbanded. |
| 1883 | July 21 | General Order #221: A ‘Permanent Substitute Corps’ was established, which required members to join the Substitute Corps before being appointed to the permanent force. The Substitutes were assigned to companies but could be detailed to any fire company as necessary. (This system is essentially the ‘Member on Probation’ system in current use.) |
| 1883 | November 28 | General Order #225: Hoseman George W. Stimpson, Hose Company 7, was appointed ‘Hospital Surgeon’ in charge of all aspects of care of the horses employed by the department, including sick animals, attending second alarm fires, inspecting horses before purchase and inspecting stable areas in all firehouses. An equine infirmary was established at the quarters of Hose Company 7 at 1046 Tremont Street, Roxbury. |
| 1884 | January 15 | The Fireboat ‘William M. Flanders’ was designated Engine Company 31, while retaining the Flanders name as a vessel. |
| 1884 | March 17 | Engine Company 32 was organized at 440 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown. Hose Company 2 at 556 Main Street was disbanded. |
| 1884 | April 25 | A new Hayes 85ft extension ladder truck replaced the Scott-Uda aerial ladder truck, which was placed in reserve. |
| 1884 | October 3 | Chief Engineer William A. Green was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners for a three-year term. |
| 1884 | October 23 | Lewis P. Webber was voted Chief Engineer by the Board of Fire Commissioners. |
| 1885 | July 11 | A new department Repair Shop was established at 363 Albany Street, South End, adjacent to Fire Headquarters. |
| 1885 | October 25 | Ladder Company 9 and Hose Company 1 moved from 326 Main Street to a new firehouse across the street at 333 Main Street, Charlestown. |
| 1886 | March 3 | The Boston Fire Department entered into a contract with the Bangor Ladder Company. |
| 1886 | April 29 | Engine Company 28 received a new Silsby 3rd size steam engine, C/N #850, rated at 500gpm. |
| 1886 | September 27 | Chemical Engine Company 7 was organized at 761 Saratoga Street, East Boston. |
| 1887 | January 8 | The first auxiliary to a master fire alarm box was installed on Box 621, at Boston City Hall, School Street. |
| 1887 | February 7 | A sliding pole was ordered to be installed at Ladder 3’s firehouse. |
| 1887 | March 14 | The Bussey Railroad Bridge Collapse over South Street, Roslindale, occurred. |
| 1887 | August 30 | New titles became effective for the officers of the department. The Chief Engineer became Chief of Department; Assistant Engineers became District Chiefs; Foremen became Captains and Assistant Engineers became Lieutenants. |
| 1887 | October 27 | Chemical Engine Company 8 was organized 116 B Street, South Boston. Hose Company 9 at that address was disbanded. |
| 1887 | December 19 | Hose Company 4 moved from (51) Bunker Hill Street to a new firehouse at 44 Monument Street, Charlestown. |
| 1888 | February 20 | Engine Company 33 and Ladder Company 15 were organized at 941 Boylston Street, Back Bay. Ladder 15 was equipped with a Babcock aerial ladder truck with a the first three-horse hitch in the city. |
| 1888 | July 17 | Chemical Engine Company 9 was organized at 333 Main Street, Charlestown. Hose Company 1 at that address was disbanded. |
| 1888 | July 31 | Engine Company 6 moved from 30 Wall Street, West End, to 26 Leverett Street, West End. |
| 1888 | October 12 | Ladder Company 16 was organized at the quarters of Chemical Engine Company 4 at 4246 Washington Street, Roslindale. |
| 1888 | November 3 | Engine Company 34 was organized at a new firehouse at 444 Western Avenue, Allston. |
| 1889 | September 16 | Chemical Engine Company 10 was organized at 20 Eustis Street, Roxbury. |
| 1889 | November 28 | The ‘Thanksgiving Day Fire’ occurred, starting at 69-87 Bedford Street, Downtown, resulting in damage nearly $4 million dollars, with four Line-of-Duty and one ex-member deaths, and three pieces of apparatus destroyed in a collapse. |
| 1889 | December 1 | The ‘Day Off in 12’ system superseded the former system of ‘two days off in one month’. |
| 1889 | December 22 | The book “A Complete History of the Boston Fire Department, 1630-1888” was published by Arthur Wellington Brayley. |
| 1889 | The Department Drill School was established in the yard of the Repair Shop, 363 Albany Street, South End. All new appointees were required to attend the 30-day school. | |
