Whew! It certainly feels like someone put the summer in Somersworth these past few days. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the heat at least until it reaches over 95 degrees but that is my limit. There is a group in Somersworth both in the past and the present that I assume must enjoy the heat because they are the ones that can be found running into a burning building. Of course, I’m referring to Somersworth Fire Department.
I decided to take a look back at some of the history of this department. To do that, we have to travel back in time to 1830 when Somersworth or as it was then known “Great Falls” was a fledgling village which supplied the labor for the Great Falls Manufacturing Company, who produced cotton textiles.
Now, the textile mills were notorious for being fire hazards, in particular the picking room which over time would be filled with loose lint. Just like today when we forget to empty the lint filters on our dryers, fires would occasionally break out. So it makes sense that the first hand tub was owned by the GFMC and operated by their men. In truth, though, everyone who owned a building within Somersworth was a fireman at the time. Each dwelling was required to always have hanging in their entryways two leather fire-buckets. These would be flung into the streets when a fire alarm was sounded and picked up by the firemen on the way to the fire.
As the town grew so did the need for a more sophisticated system in case of fire. More hand tubs were manufactured, the first two right here in the machine shop of the GFMC. Then came the fire houses, the first was built on Pleasant Street which was followed by another in 1877 when they would build one on Prospect Street at the back of what was then the high school and today is Hilltop Apartments. It would not be until 1868 that the SFD would appoint an engineer in the form of David H. Buffum.
At the close of the Civil War, believe it or not, men would belong to the fire company not for pay, but simply, for fun. Each company would consist of 50 to 60 men and each would have a uniform. The pay for a fireman back then was $5 per year and that he would always put back into the general funds, according to records. It would not be until 1896 when the fire department was reorganized into five houses each averaging between 15 and 20 men.
Over the years, the department has evolved to meet the growing needs of the city and countless lives as well as property have been saved through their actions.The first fire that involved the loss of a life took place on April 4th, 1876 in the midst of a blizzard. Two souls would perish as the entire business block of High Street burned to the ground. It was said that come the morning hardly a flake of snow could be seen on the ground for the black soot that had rained down all evening.
Over the subsequent years, there have been many other notable fires and if you lived in Somersworth between 2000 and the present day you probably recall the mill and bleachery fires. The first of these would take place at the bleachery in 2003, then the Great Falls Mills would be devastated in 2007 followed by another fire at the bleachery in 2019. Each of these fires were believed to be arson.
Nowadays, the needs of a modern fire department are much different from those when the department started and with that in mind I’ve been researching our fire houses over the years. You will have to wait until next week to read about that though.
Talking of heat though, one way for the kids to cool down in the city is to head to the Pines and spend some time at the Splash Pad which opened this past weekend much to the excitement of many a Somersworth child. The pad is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
Another new development is the city has partnered with Mr. Fox Composting for a pilot program that will allow citizens to drop compostable materials into a designated bin at the Public Works Facility on Lilac Lane off Blackwater Road beginning July 1st. There are restrictions to the type of products that can be composted and you can find more information on Somersworth.Com or by calling Public Works at 603-692-4266.
As we creep closer to July 4th … Wow! How did that happen? Just a reminder that the city of Somersworth requires you obtain a permit if you plan to let off fireworks. This is done by contacting the police or fire department. So please make sure you follow the permitting process. More information can be found on Somersworth.com.
One more thing I want to mention before I close this week is with the weather heating up, please don’t leave your dogs, pets or kids in a hot car. Despite the warnings each year, it seems that we see a few of these incidences and well I would hate for it to happen here.
On a happier note until next week, enjoy the warmer weather, enjoy each other’s company and please be nice to one another because honestly you never know what someone else is going through.