140th Anniversary of the San Rafael Fire Department
by Laurie Thompson
In 1874, the City of San Rafael was incorporated. So, too, was its fire department. Originally called the “San Rafael Hose Company,” it was subsequently renamed the “San Rafael Hook, Ladder and Hose Company 1.”
In an April 6, 1949 Marin Independent Journal article, Al Milgrom relates:
Two hand-drawn horse carts from San Francisco and five axes, made up the company’s first apparatus. In 1893 the company acquired a four-wheel pumper. After the 1900s, the company decided it would be practical to put two horses on full-time duty rather than depend on Charley Brown’s or Gus Burkhard’s or Hugh McCurdy’s team to pole onto hose carts in case of fire. Along with the two horses, a piebald pair remembered as Tom and Jerry, two paid firemen were kept at the old fire house. Among the first full paid firemen were “Chappy” Ballantino and Charley Digesti….
The California Room wishes to thank Jeff Craemer for his recent donation of the slide illustrating this post. It shows the two piebald horses -Tom & Jerry- pulling the horse cart.
Originally published at https://annetkent.kontribune.com.
