DIVISION FOUR— BOOM. 29 1 



Friday evening, at 8 p. m., agreeably to notice, Dr. H. A. Reid was elected 

 chairman and Martin Mullins secretary. Mr. F. B. Wetherby read a list of 

 names of twenty persons who volunteered to act as firemen. On motion the 

 chairman was authorized to appoint a committee of three to learn what 

 articles would be needed for extinguishing fires, and the cost of same. 

 Messrs. T. E. Martin, H. W. Magee and M. Mullins were appointed as such 

 committee ; and T. P. lyukens, Esq., was appointed to learn and report as to 

 the cost of articles needed. ' ' 



The hotel "reading room " referred to was the same that is now No. 16 

 west Colorado street, occupied by W. T. Clapp's real estate office and J. A. 

 Mclntyre's shoe store and shop. The Union of January 30th reported the 

 first "actual organization of a Fire Company, and I quote from it : 



"Pursuant to a call, the citizens of Pasadena met Tuesday evening, 

 27th inst., 'at the reading room of the Webster Hotel to organize a Fire 

 Company, to be called the "Pasadena Fire Brigade." F. B. Wetherby 

 was nominated and unanimously elected president of the Company. T. E. 

 Martin was then put in nomination and elected secretary. W. B. Loughery 

 was next nominated and without a dissenting voice declared treasurer. 

 Charles Rose and John Ripley were then put in nomination for Foreman. 

 Mr. Ripley withdrew in favor of Mr. Rose, and the latter was then elected 

 by acclamation. John Ripley was then called to fill the position of Assistant 

 Foreman, and was declared elected by a full vote of all present. Next in 

 order was the appointment of a committee to draft a Constitution and By- 

 Laws for said company, and the chair appointed Messrs. H. Phillips and C. 

 Rose to draft the same and report to the next meeting." 



No report of this committee was ever published ; but the Union of 

 February 13, publishes the following: 



"Another fire meeting was held last evening at the reading room of the 

 Webster Hotel, Dr. Reid presiding. Mr. Wetherby read a proposition from 

 the Harper & Reynolds Company, for the furnishing of certain apparatus 

 for $450, to which Mr. Lukens supplemented a list of other articles swelling 

 the amount to $761.80." 



The report then goes on to relate at length that R. Williams raised the 

 question whether the forming of a fire company and procuring apparatus 

 would reduce the exorbitant insurance rates ; also, what arrangement could 

 be made with the water companies ; — both of which points gave rise to 

 much discussion, and were finally referred to committees. Then Frank M. 

 Ward [as agent for Gen. Edwin Ward] subscribed $100 on behalf of the 

 General, and $20 for his own firm of Ward Bros. ; and Mr. Wetherbj^ was 

 appointed to solicit further subscriptions. But I could not find that any of 

 the committees ever made report ; and the whole project seems to have died 

 and left no sign. There were then very serious difficulties as to water supply 

 for any sort of engine, the water mains being only the original small caliber 

 sheet iron colony pipes. Geo. A. Greeley and Dr. Reid urged the formation 

 of a hook and ladder company, and that our own blacksmith and wagon 

 shops be employed to make some suitable ladders, some fire hooks, with 



