Parade and Housewarming Hosted by Pelhamville Fire Department in 1894

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On Wednesday, May 16, 1894, much of Pelham gathered for a parade, a dinner, and a housewarming to celebrate the opening of the new firehouse in Pelhamville housing Relief Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 and Liberty Hose Company No. 1.  The parade began at Eighth Avenue and Fourth Street [today's Lincoln Avenue] and proceeded along "the principal streets and avenues of the village."

The parade route was decorated and Pelhamites popped out of their homes and businesses and lined the route with cheers.  In addition to the members of the two companies whose new firehouse was being celebrated, other marchers included the Fire Commissioners, invited guests, and the members of the Independent Hook and Ladder Company of Pelham Manor.

At the end of the parade, marchers and supporters gathered in the new firehouse for a tour, including a tour of the two companies' apartments.  Additionally, the following delivered remarks to the crowd:  the President of the Board of Fire Commissioners, W. H. Sparks, Foremen W. S. Harrison and C. A. Barker and Fireman John Young. Following the remarks, everyone gathered for food prepared by women associated with the celebrants and dancing until midnight.

The tiny settlement of Pelhamville was justifiably proud of its new firehouse.  The celebration was worthy of the work and effort put into the development and construction of the new firehouse.

Below are two images showing both the firehouse and the two companies of Pelhamville firefighters that it housed, both taken barely a year after the firehouse was built.  There after is a transcription of an excerpt of an article that describing the parade, housewarming and party to celebrate the new firehouse.

Men of the Liberty Hose Company No. 1 Standing in

Front of the Original Pelhamville Fire House in 1895.

Presumably the Three Men in Suits Behind Them Are

Several of the Fire Commissioners.  NOTE:  Click to Enlarge Image.

Source:  Image Enhanced from Image Offered for Auction Via eBay.

Men of the Relief Hook and Ladder Company No. 1

Standing in Front of the Original Pelhamville Fire 

House in 1895.  NOTE:  Click to Enlarge Image.

Source:  Image Rendered Grayscale and Enhanced

from Image Offered for Auction via eBay.

"OUR NEARBY NEIGHBORS.
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Pelhamville. . . . 

A grand jollification parade and housewarming was given by the fire department on Wednesday evening the 16th inst.  The Relief Hook and Ladder Co. formed in line in front of the engine house and ex-chief Barker in behalf of the young ladies of Pelhamville presented the assistant chief, Walter Barker with a beautiful new helmet.  The companies then repaired to Eighth avenue and Fourth street where under the command of Chief B. F. Crewell the line formed, headed by the Board of Fire Commissioners, consisting of Messrs. W. H. Sparks, I. C. Hill, W. J. Evert, Vincent Barker and C. A. Barker; next came the invited guests, the Independent Hook and Ladder Company of Pelham Manor in command of Foreman B. F. Turner, followed by the local companies, Liberty Hose Company and Relief Hook and Ladder Company.  The line of march covered the principal streets and avenues of the village, and the beautiful decorations along the route excited the enthusiasm of 'the boys' which was frequently evidenced by rousing cheers.  It is to be regretted that the line of march was not published, had it been known the decorations would have been more general.  At the completion of the parade the members of the department and the invited guests repaired to the engine house where the ladies sustained their reputation by the bountiful collation which they had prepared.  Appropriate and pointed remarks were made by the President of the Board of Fire Commissioners, W. H. Sparks, Foremen W. S. Harrison and C. A. Barker and Fireman John Young.  The house was beautifully and tastefully decorated and both companies deserve commendation for the taste displayed in furnishing their separate apartments.  Dancing was indulged in until twelve o'clock.  This report would not be complete were no mention made of the discipline, marching and etc., manifested by all participating."

Source:  OUR NEARBY NEIGHBORS -- Pelhamville, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], May 24, 1894, p. 4, col. 3.  

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Below is a list of prior Historic Pelham Blog postings that touch on firefighting and the history of fire fighting units within the Town of Pelham.

Thu., Jul. 24, 2014:  Dedication of the New Fire Headquarters in the Village of Pelham on December 29, 1927.

Wed., Jul. 02, 2014:  Election Shenanigans Involving Fire Commissioner Election in 1898.

Thu., Apr. 24, 2014:  Information About the History of Fire Departments in the Town of Pelham Published in 1927.

Fri., Jan. 24, 2014:  Early Days of Organized Fire Fighting in Today's Village of Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 15, 2010:  Photograph of Augustine C. McGuire, President of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the First District Fire Department in 1913.

Thu., Jan. 14, 2010:  1913 Report of the Firemen's Benevolent Association in Pelham.

Thu., Dec. 10, 2009:  More 19th Century Baseball and Firefighting References.

Tue., Dec. 08, 2009:  The Darling Triplets: Three Brothers Among Pelham's Earliest Firefighters.

Thu., Oct. 08, 2009:  Firefighting Units on City Island in Pelham During the Early 1890's.

Mon., Aug. 31, 2009:  Contest in 1891 To Determine Which Steam Fire Engine Company Could Throw a Stream the Greater Distance.

Fri., Aug. 28, 2009:  Reorganization of the Minneford Engine Company on City Island in February, 1891.

Thu., Aug. 06, 2009:  Brief History of the Fire Department in the Village of North Pelham Published in 1913.

Wed., Aug. 05, 2009:  Pelham Manor Fire Chief Pleads for Taxpayers to Authorize Purchase of Village's First Fire Engine.

Wed., July 15, 2009:  Liberty Hose Company Election in 1898.

Thu., Jan. 19, 2006:  Pelham Manor's Earliest Fire Fighting Equipment.

Mon., Aug. 01, 2005:  An 1896 Inspection and Drill of the Fire Department in Pelham.

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Pelhamville Votes to Incorporate as the Village of North Pelham in 1896

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Today we take the incorporation of our modern villages situated within the Town of Pelham for granted.  On Saturday, August 29, 1896, however, incorporation of the tiny settlement of Pelhamville as the new Village of North Pelham was not "taken for granted."  Indeed, a very hotly-contested referendum to decide the matter was underway that day.  Incorporation was not assured although those who favored incorporation believed they held the majority on the eve of the election.  

Residents of the settlement of Pelhamville were pitted against one another in an emotional debate over what would be best for the locals.  Most residents of Pelham at the time believed that it would simply be a matter of time before the adjacent behemoth of New York City would annex the area and swallow up all of Pelham, Mount Vernon, and surrounding areas.  Proponents of incorporation argued that incurring a bonded indebtedness of $50,000 would require very little taxation of local residents to service the debt and New York City would be obligated by law to take over the bonded indebtedness when annexation finally came.  They argued that with $50,000 from the issuance of bonds, the new Village of North Pelham could fund massive infrastructure improvements while raising little in the way of new taxes.

Those against incorporation argued that the area had been improved successfully over the previous four decades without incorporation and without the need for raising large sums in the form of increased taxes.  They cautioned against incurring debt and reminded that there was no assurance Pelham would ever be annexed by New York City.  They raised questions over the calculations used to suggest that tax increases would be de minimus and suggested that the cost of conducting a Village Government would be much higher than proponents of incorporation suggested.  

Those who believed the majority of voters supported incorporation turned out to be correct -- by the exceptionally-slim margin of two votes out of the total of 132 ballots cast.  The voters of the little settlement of Pelhamville elected to incorporate by a vote of 67 to 65. 

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of two articles that appeared in a local newspaper.  The first appeared the day before the ballot.  The second appeared the following week. after the election, and announced the results.  These two brief articles shed interesting light on a seminal moment in the history of today's Village of Pelham.

Map of Pelhamville Published in 1868.

Source:  Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity from

Actual Surveys By and Under the Direction of F.W. Beers,

Assisted By A.B. Prindle & Others, pg. 36

(NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868) (Detail from Page

36 Map Entitled "Town of New Rochelle, Westchester

Co., N.Y. (With) Pelhamville).

"Pelham.
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To-Morrow's Incorporation Election.

To-morrow, Saturday, the much talked of matter of incorporating that part of the Town of Pelham formerly known as Pelhamville, into the Village of North Pelham, will be decided by the property owners and residents of the place.  The election will be held at the Town Hall, the polls being open from 10 A. M. to 3 P. M.  While these hours are inconvenient to many, it is probable that there will be a large vote cast.

From present indications it looks as if the question would be decided in the affirmative by a good majority.  The greater number of the citizens concede that incorporation is the only step that can be taken in order to obtain any local improvements, and that action should be taken at once.

Of course, there are some who claim that what was good enough for their fathers and grandfathers before them, is good enough for them, etc., and who fear that they will be unable to meet the increase in their taxes.  It has been clearly demonstrated, however, that there will be only a slight if any increase.  If $50,000 worth of bonds are issued at say 4 per cent, the yearly interest will be $2,000.  The cost of maintaining the government would be but $450; $300 being the clerk's salary, and the treasurer's remuneration, $150.  This would make a total of only $2,450 to be raised each year, and it has been shown that $50,000 will pay for a vast amount of improvements.

If Pelham is annexed to New York city as it probably eventually will be, the place will have all its improvements and the metropolis will have to assume its bonded indebtedness.  If it remains in its present state, and is taken into New York, it will instantly have to bear the increase in taxes, and then wait for years for local improvements, as Woodlawn and the 23rd and 24th Wards have had to do.

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Editor of Chronicle:

Some of the non-taxpaying officials among those opposed to incorporation are trying to dissuade non-taxpaying voters from voting on this question on the ground that they are no taxpayers, and therefore not interested in the matter.  But mark the inconsistency.  These same non-taxpaying officials have never hesitated for a moment to accept office at the hands of the taxpayers, although they have never contributed one cent of tax to the community to which they owe their very existence.

SUBURBAN.

------

Editor 'Chronicle.'

Dear Sir. -- Before going to the polls to-morrow, we would ask through The Chronicle, why, in these days of progress, when everybody wants improvements, are our non-taxpaying officials so bitterly opposed to incorporation?  We have asked some of our saloon-keepers for information.  They said they did not know.  Do you?  You know, we are so green.

TAXPAYERS."

Source:  Pelham -- To-morrow's Incorporation Election, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1896, p. 3, col. 3. 

"Pelham.
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INCORPORATION VICTORIOUS.
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It Was a Close Vote, But It Means That North Pelham Will Soon be a Village.
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It is now North Pelham.  Saturday [August 29, 1896] the question of local incorporation was decided in the affirmative by the small majority of two votes.  132 ballots were cast, 67 being for and 65 against.  The election was conducted by Supervisor Shinn and Town Clerk Caffrey, the polls being open from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon.

During that time both the incorporators and the anti-incorporators worked hard in bringing out the voters.  Many business men staid [sic] home all day in order to vote and help their side to win.  In the afternoon the contest became exceedingly interesting and the outcome was awaited with eagerness and ill forbodings [sic].  When the votes were counted however there was a loud hurrah by the victors.  

Mr. Otto E. Stroetzel, President of the Citizen's League, who instituted the movement, and the committee in charge, deserve special praise for their untiring and successful efforts.  

The election of officers will be held sometime before the 18th inst.  The complement of officers consists of a president, three trustees, a treasurer and a clerk, the last of which is appointed.  For the office of president, the names of Mr. O. E. Stroetzel and Dr. Charles A. Barker have been mentioned, but no candidates have been held yet to nominate tickets of which there will be at least two."

Source:  Pelham -- INCORPORATION VICTORIOUS,  The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Sep. 4, 1896, p. 3, col. 3.  

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