General N. P. Banks house was built in 1798.
On November 16, 1830, the Boston Manufacturing Company presented the library, owned by them, to the town of Waltham which was the beginning of our Public Library. It was at that time located in Rumford Hall.
The forming of the Waltham Fire Club in 1824 was the first organization for the fighting of fires in the town and all the implements (so-called in those days) that they had for each member was a bucket, a bag, a bed key, and a belt. This club had an active life of about twenty years, as far as fighting fires goes, but the organization has been kept up until the present and meetings have been held once a year for 103 years. Anyone who is a member of this club should feel honored that he is a member and to have had his name inscribed on the record book with such names that are there such as Hon. N. P. Banks, Hon. F. M. Stone, Samuel O. Upham, Francis Buttrick, William Gibbs and hundreds of other of our leading citizens.
About the years 1839 and 1840, the Boston Manufacturing Company owned an engine called the Boyden, I believe, which was manned by a volunteer company.
In 1844, Waltham having had permission from the General Court, organized their first fire department. This consisted of Boyden and Neptune hand engines, a Hose Company No. 1 and a Hook and Ladder Company. The Boyden and Neptune engines were quartered where the Central Fire Station now stands, and the Hose Company and Hook and Ladder Company were in a small building that stood in the rear of our late City Hall. The Lockup, as it was called in those days, was in the same building. These were all volunteer companies.
In reading the report of the Fire Engineers for the years 1864 and 1865, which by the way was their 21st annual report, I find that the expenses for that year were $2,372.16. The expense of our present department for this last year was $125,956.87.
In the year 1864, they had two fires outside of the limits of the town. 1927 Fire Alarms 527, Damage $87,855.75, Contents $29,431.35 Total $117,287.10
In 1865, there was the same number of pieces of apparatus as there was in 1844.
Their only way of getting water was to take it from wells and reservoirs that were scattered over the town of which there were 18 only at this time as our water works were not put in until 1872.
First Steamer bought 1872
First Motor Apparatus ?
Today we have as good a fire department as there is in the State with the best engines, etc., and the best Chiefs and men.
I would say in closing that most of this data I found in Nelson’s History of Waltham which may be had at the Public Library and which is very interesting reading for anyone who is a lover of Waltham.