The Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum was established in 1995 after Cranston’s remaining four volunteer companies; Fiskeville, Meshanticut, Oak Lawn, and Pawtuxet, disbanded earlier that year. Our mission is to preserve Cranston’s rich firefighting history for educational and research purposes.
Our impressive collection, which includes antique fire apparatus and numerous pieces of memorabilia from all twelve defunct volunteer companies, is housed in the former Oak Lawn Volunteer Fire Station at 470 Hope Road in Cranston.
Organized fire protection in Cranston began with volunteer fire companies starting with the Pawtuxet Fire Company in 1891. By 1908 the number of fire companies had grown to ten. These included Arlington, East Arlington, Auburn, Edgewood, Pocasset, Cranston, Eden Park, Fiskeville, and Oak Lawn.
It should be noted that these volunteer fire companies were organized by private citizens and not by the Town of Cranston.
Starting a fire company required money which was raised through donations in order to purchase fire apparatus, miscellaneous equipment, and a station to operate from. After incorporation, each fire company found ways to raise funds to pay expenses and remain in operation. This was done in a variety of ways such as holding dances, clam bakes, and annual “firemen’s fairs”.
The men of these early fire companies initially answered the call to duty with obsolete horse-drawn, and sometimes hand-drawn apparatus, for the modern and powerful “steamer” engines of the late 1800s were very expensive and out of reach for many communities. As the 20th century progressed most of the volunteer companies eventually acquired motorized apparatus.
In 1910 Cranston incorporated as a city and adopted a city form of government. One of the first orders of business was to establish a paid “regular” or “permanent” police department, but at that time it was felt that a volunteer firefighting force was sufficient. However, as the 20th century progressed, and Rhode Island’s newest city entered an era of rapid growth, the idea of a paid “regular” or “permanent” fire department began to circulate. Mayor Horton, in his inaugural address in January of 1919 advocated the creation of a permanent fire company to be centrally located and equipped with the most up-to-date motorized fire apparatus capable of responding quickly to all corners of the city. His plan called for the apparatus to be staffed by at least two men at all times.
Over the following year arrangements were made to make Mayor Horton’s vision a reality. One question that needed to be decided was who should be the first city fire chief. At an annual supper held February 2, 1920, at the Pocasset fire station in Knightsville, it was proposed by several local dignitaries in attendance that Pocasset’s Fire Chief, Daniel F. Young, should be appointed the first chief of the soon to be established paid fire department. Chief Young was highly respected among his peers and had served a Chief of the Pocasset Volunteer Fire Company for many years. The proposal was widely accepted, and history has shown that Young did become Cranston’s first paid fire chief on December 20, 1920.
As the paid fire department grew larger over the next thirty years the number of volunteer companies dwindled until only four remained; Fiskeville, Meshanticut, (Formerly Pocasset), Oak Lawn, and Pawtuxet.
By the 1990s it was thought by some that Cranston’s volunteer fire companies had become obsolete, and that all fire operations in the city should be done by the city fire department. This thought process was not without controversy. The remaining four volunteer companies disband in 1995 which led to the establishment of the Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum.
Sources:
Providence Journal, “Mayor Horton Advocates Permanent Department For Cranston”, February 2, 1919.
Providence Journal, “Officers Elected By Pocasset Fire Engine Company”, January 6, 1920.
Providence Journal, “Daniel F. Young Favored To Head City Fire Company”, February 3, 1920.
Providence Journal, “Watch Presented To Cranston’s New Fire Company Head”, December 10, 1920
Providence Journal, “Pocasset Fire Company Holds Annual Election” January 11, 1921.