From the Rhode Island Republican, (Newport, R. I.), October 18, 1837. Click on image to enlarge.
Author: jim
Cornell Farm Fire – 1958
These photos were found in the archives of the Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum. The barn at the Everett Cornell Farm caught fire on September 9, 1958. The farm was located on Burlingame Road just north of Phenix Avenue, on the right. Click on images to enlarge.
Fire At State Dairy – July 3, 1956
These photos were located in an envelope at the Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum. They were marked: “West Barn, Fire at State Dairy, July 3, 1956.” They were taken by a member of the Meshanticut Park Fire Company. Details about the fire are unknown. These buildings no longer exist. Click on images to…
Volunteer Firemen’s Parade – 1915
This article appeared in the now long defunct newspaper, “The Cranston Citizen”, on December 2, 1915. Click on images to enlarge.
Narragansett Brewery
Little is known about this agency, but it’s presumed that this was a private firefighting company to protect the brewery and its properties. The Narragansett Brewery opened in the Arlington section of Cranston in December of 1890, and was expanded over the years. The…
Arlington Fire Company
The idea of creating a fire district in Arlington dates to January of 1889 when the Rhode Island General Assembly issued a charter for the “Arlington School District”, (District No. 10), to become a fire district known as “The Arlington Fire District”. Once the charter was obtained, a meeting to vote to accept…
Champlin Reservation Fire Truck
The Champlin Boy Scout Reservation is located at 223 Scituate Avenue in Cranston. Although not actually a volunteer fire company, they did maintain a brush-truck designated as Engine 18 to put out the occasional brush fire. As far as it’s known, the truck was never called into service outside the reservation. What…
Auburn Fire Company
It’s possible that the Auburn Fire Company originated as the Mashpaug Fire Company in the 1890s, or the Mashpaug Fire Co. was absorbed by the Auburn Fire Co. If anyone knows the answer, please contact the museum. As a point of fact, there were those who attempted to organize a…
Mashapaug Fire Company
Click on images to enlarge. The earliest documentation of the Mashapaug Fire Company was found in a news snippet dated December 23, 1892, which appeared in the now defunct Olneyville Times commending the company for their work at a recent fire on Garden Street in Auburn. It is therefore surmised that…
Cranston Print Works
The A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing Company was located where the Cranston Print Works is today. It was a cotton manufacturing company owned by the Sprague Family of Cranston, and was in business as early as 1862. It is unknown if this was a a volunteer fire company, or a private concern established…