A moment in history Big Spring gets their first firetruck!
Editor’s Note: The Heritage Museum offers a piece of Big Spring history each week, in an effort to highlight those who helped form the community in which we live today. The stories shared are only a piece of the history that is housed inside the Heritage Museum. The community is encouraged to experience more local history by visiting the Heritage Museum during normal business hours, Tuesday through Saturday.
One of the most devastating enemies of early settlers struck the business section of Big Spring three times during its early days; once at the Texas and Pacific shops, again in 1908 on the north side of 100 East Second, and, in 1907, when the entire east side of 100 Main was destroyed. Firefighting equipment consisted of a push wagon and buckets manned by volunteer fighters. Citizens watched helplessly as the totally inadequate equipment failed to contain the fires.
After the devastation of these fires, a committee was formed to make recommendations to the city council for purchasing new equipment and to establish fire zones. An ordinance outlining the fire zone became effective on April 22, 1907. Buildings constructed of wood were forbidden within the city’s fire zone.
During a city meeting in 1909, it was agreed upon that the citizens of Big Spring would contribute $3,000 for the purchase of a new fire truck. The city agreed to pay $1,500 the first year and another $1,500 within two years from acceptance of the Motor Fire Engine.
Some of the features on the new firetruck were a 70-horsepower, four-cylinder, gasoline motor with top speed of 55 mph. A chemical tank was mounted behind the driver’s seat and had a 30-gallon capacity with two hundred feet of ¾ inch hose that was attached to the chemical tank. A rotary pump of 600 gallons of water per minute that maintained a pressure of 150 pounds to the square inch. There were also 1,000 feet of 2 ½ inch cotton hose. A ladder and 20foot extending ladder were on the