Description: This image of an early fire engine and firefighters in Cincinnati, Ohio, is from the "Illustrated London News." Observers in a tower note smoke in the distance and ring a bell to sound the alarm. The man in the back uses a firefighting trumpet, used to "call out" or announce the fire to assemble the call men. The image illustrates the technological limitations of early fire departments, even in fairly large cities. Before the introduction of horse-drawn fire engines in the mid-19th century, and later fire trucks, following the invention of the automobile, most fire engines were maneuvered by men. In 1853, the city of Cincinnati became the first to employ a professional fire department, made up of 100% full-time, paid employees. "Illustrated London News" had a wide circulation in the 19th century, and collections of issues were often bound together and saved by families so that children could read them for years to come. This image comes from a detached page that was hand-colored. Such illustrations are valuable, and were sometime separated from intact issues to be sold by antique dealers. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS4552
Subjects: Fire engines & equipment; Fire fighters; Social services; Public safety; Cincinnati (Ohio)--History;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Middleport Volunteer Fire Department." Six men from the Middleport Volunteer Fire Department are pictured with a fire engine. Middleport is located in southeastern Ohio, along the Ohio River. The Middleport Volunteer Fire Department was founded in the mid 1800s. It is believed that the first all volunteer emergency squad in the state of Ohio was founded in 1937 in Middleport. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F20_012_1
Subjects: Fire departments--Ohio; Fire engines; Volunteers
Places: Middleport (Ohio); Meigs County (Ohio)
 

Description: Illustration titled "A Fire in Cincinnati," which originally appeared in the October 30, 1858, issue of Harper's Weekly. It accompanied an article about the Fire Department of Cincinnati and its use of a steam-powered fire engine. In 1853, the city of Cincinnati became the first to employ a professional fire department, made up of 100% full-time, paid employees. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04119
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio); Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Fires; Harper's Weekly; Fire fighters; Fire engines & equipment
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Membership certificate from the Washington Court House, Ohio, Fire Department to F. M. Kennedy for five years of service, 1888. This certificate is from the era of the volunteer firefighter. The images show the popular view of firemen at that time, and illustrate scenes of firemen fighting fires, rescuing women and children, pulling a fire engine and blowing a fire trumpet. Tools and equipment of the profession are pictured as well. The certificate reads: "This certifies that F. M. Kennedy has been a member of the Fire Department of Washington C. H. Ohio for the period of 5 years, and by the faithful and honorable discharge of his duties, is entitled to all the exemptions allowed by Law for such service. In witness whereof we have signed our names hereto and affixes the Dept seal this 5th day of April 1888. John Stillman, Chief; R. Bell, Sec." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS5517
Subjects: Fire engines & equipment; Fire fighters; Public safety; Volunteering;
Places: Washington Court House (Ohio); Fayette County (Ohio)
 

Description: An early, horse-drawn fire engine in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Before the introduction of horse-drawn fire engines in the mid-19th century, most fire engines were maneuvered by men. Horse-drawn fire engines considerably improved the response time to incidents. Photograph by Harry Evan Kinley (1882-1969), a native of Upper Sandusky. Kinley was active in local events and organizations, and spent his professional career as a clerk at his father's department store, and later as a travelling salesman for the Marion Paper & Supply Company (1934-1962). He was also an avid lifelong photographer, and the bulk of the Harry Kinley Collection is comprised of glass plate negatives documenting the Kinley family, the city of Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County and surrounding areas. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07786
Subjects: Ohio Economy--Science and Technology; Fire engines & equipment; Photographers--Ohio; Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Cultural Ohio--Art and Artists;
Places: Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Wyandot County (Ohio)
 

Description: Hand-colored photograph showing six firemen in Circleville, Ohio, ca. 1850-1859. The men seated in front are holding firefighting trumpets, which were used to "call out" or announce the fire to assemble the call men, who were local citizens who assisted regular firefighters in putting out fires. They received a small payment for each fire they attended. In 1853, the city of Cincinnati became the first to employ a professional fire department, made up of 100% full-time, paid employees. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04118
Subjects: Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Fire fighters; Fire engines & equipment; Fire prevention
Places: Circleville (Ohio); Pickaway County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the Hotel Fetter during a fire in downtown Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in November 1918. Smoke pours from the top of the building and a fire hose sprays water at a third story window. The roof of the building has already burned and the bricks on the third story are beginning to collapse. The sign on the side of the building reads "Hotel Fetter--European Restaurant--Quick Lunch." A group of men stand watching in the bottom right of the photo. All guests at the Hotel Fetter were safely evacuated and the staff had time to save the contents before the building caught fire. The fire caused two fatalities and $250,000 in damages overall. Photograph by Harry Evan Kinley (1882-1969), a native of Upper Sandusky. Kinley was active in local events and organizations, and spent his professional career as a clerk at his father's department store, and later as a traveling salesman for the Marion Paper & Supply Company (1934-1962). He was also an avid lifelong photographer, and the bulk of the Harry Kinley Collection is comprised of glass plate negatives documenting the Kinley family, the city of Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County and surrounding areas. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV30_B04F05_29
Subjects: Fires; Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Hotels; Fire fighters
Places: Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Wyandot County (Ohio);
 

Description: Photograph showing veterans of Cleveland's volunteer fire department in 1890, from the collection of Louis Baus. Baus, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was born in 1875. He began his career as a professional photographer doing studio work before becoming a staff photographer for the Cleveland Advocate in 1911. Baus worked for the paper, which was later purchased by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, for thirty-eight years until his death in 1949. He was also an avid collector of historic photographs. The Louis Baus Collection consists of over one thousand photographs mounted in eleven albums, showing historic Cleveland, the village of Zoar and Ohio covered bridges and mills. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P223_B03_A08_778
Subjects: Cleveland (Ohio); Fire fighters; Fire engines & equipment; Fire prevention
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: A fireman descends the ladder of a fire truck responding to a fire above Molly McGuire's, a bar and restaurant located at 1596 North High Street in the University District of Columbus, Ohio. The University District includes the small neighborhoods to the east and south of The Ohio State University campus on either side of the High Street corridor. The High Street Photograph Collection is comprised of over 400 photographs of High Street in Columbus, Ohio, taken in the early 1970s. These photographs were taken primarily at street level and document people and the built environment from the Pontifical College Josephinum on North High Street in Worthington through Clintonville, the University District and Short North, Downtown and South Columbus. The photographs were used in a television photo documentary that aired on WOSU called "High Street." Photographers that were involved in this project were Alfred Clarke, Carol Hibbs Kight, Darrell Muething, Clayton K. Lowe, and Julius Foris, Jr. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV254_B12F317_01
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Street photography; University District (Columbus, Ohio); Fire engines & equipment; Fires; Bars (Drinking establishments);
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Meigs County." Two members of the Middleport Volunteer Fire Department are pictured in a rescue boat. Middleport is located in southeastern Ohio, along the Ohio River. The Middleport Volunteer Fire Department was founded in the mid 1800s. It is believed that the first all volunteer emergency squad in the state of Ohio was established in 1937, in Middleport, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F20_011_1
Subjects: Fire departments--Ohio; Volunteers; Boats and boating
Places: Middleport (Ohio); Meigs County (Ohio)
 

Description: A fireman climbs the ladder of a fire truck responding to a fire above Molly McGuire's, a bar and restaurant located at 1596 North High Street in the University District of Columbus, Ohio. The University District includes the small neighborhoods to the east and south of The Ohio State University campus on either side of the High Street corridor. The High Street Photograph Collection is comprised of over 400 photographs of High Street in Columbus, Ohio, taken in the early 1970s. These photographs were taken primarily at street level and document people and the built environment from the Pontifical College Josephinum on North High Street in Worthington through Clintonville, the University District and Short North, Downtown and South Columbus. The photographs were used in a television photo documentary that aired on WOSU called "High Street." Photographers that were involved in this project were Alfred Clarke, Carol Hibbs Kight, Darrell Muething, Clayton K. Lowe, and Julius Foris, Jr. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV254_B12F321_01
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Street photography; University District (Columbus, Ohio); Fire engines & equipment; Fires; Bars (Drinking establishments);
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: A fireman climbs the ladder of a fire truck responding to a fire above Molly McGuire's, a bar and restaurant located at 1596 North High Street in the University District of Columbus, Ohio. The University District includes the small neighborhoods to the east and south of The Ohio State University campus on either side of the High Street corridor. The High Street Photograph Collection is comprised of over 400 photographs of High Street in Columbus, Ohio, taken in the early 1970s. These photographs were taken primarily at street level and document people and the built environment from the Pontifical College Josephinum on North High Street in Worthington through Clintonville, the University District and Short North, Downtown and South Columbus. The photographs were used in a television photo documentary that aired on WOSU called "High Street." Photographers that were involved in this project were Alfred Clarke, Carol Hibbs Kight, Darrell Muething, Clayton K. Lowe, and Julius Foris, Jr. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV254_B12F318_01
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Street photography; University District (Columbus, Ohio); Fire engines & equipment; Fires; Bars (Drinking establishments);
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)