Post by Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines
"Perhaps the most heart-wrenching part of the memorial is the blank walls that you know will someday have a fallen hero's name." The author.
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| Fallen Firefighters Memorial Photo property of the author |
On a recent outing, I stopped by the Fallen Firefighters Memorial. I've visited this site before, but this time I thought about how many people were affected by a fiery disaster in the early days of the West. Even today, many people are impacted by fires. It takes a special person to run toward a burning building. Many train for this job today, but how about in the early days?
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| Names on the Wall Photo property of the author |
In June of 1873, the City of Colorado Springs 'trial run' of one of the fire companies. On a Saturday evening around bedtime the church bell, which was the signal for a fire was rung. Below is a clip of the results of that exercise.
As some towns grew, there would be various sponsored 'Hook & Ladder" companies that covered different areas. There was both friendly and fierce competition between the various companies. For some companies, you had a subscription for services.
As the West continued to grow, many times the first buildings of a new town were of wood. For some the fires that occurred came close to wiping the town off the map. In the Pikes Peak Region both Cripple Creek and Victor, during the heyday of mining, had substantial fires. Within one week Cripple Creek had two back to back fires in 1896. Victor felt the flames in 1899.
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| Photo property of the author |
In the cases of most fires, the responders rush toward the disaster. We've seen many such 'heroes' in our own lifetime. Perhaps that's why such Memorials are both awe-inspiring and sobering at the same time. The names of many of the people who fought those fires in the early days are lost to us but their efforts and sacrifices have given us a legacy to build upon. Their stories are the true stories of heroes.
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| Photo property of the author |
Victor Fire Article - Colorado Historic Newspapers
Overview of Cripple Creek Fires
Colorado and Women's History
Lovely post. Firemen are genuinely true heroes.
ReplyDeleteThank you. The Memorial is amazing. Doris
DeletePowerful blog Doris. Firefighters are amazing, true courage
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm always in awe of what these people do. Doris
DeleteLoved this post. I come from a firefighting family including my grandfather who was a chief and my father (who broke his back once on a call). I grew up well aware of the hazards of fire, and I can't imagine living back in the times you described with wooden buildings, candles, wood burning stoves, kerosene lamps...It gives the willies just to think about it!
ReplyDeleteFunny you posted this today because I took a box full of family memorabilia to a local fire station. It included my father's scrapbook, and as he was also the company photographer, many photographs. The fire station historian, who is also firefighter who going to scan everything and return it to me. Some years later I still don't have it back and once in a while wonder about it. Then just yesterday he texted me that he's finally finished scanning the lot and I get to go back to the station and pick it up. I love going to fire stations! It brings back such memories. Thanks for a great post about some of our first responders!
Patti, what wonderful memories you have. I'm truly glad this post supported them. The story of the scrapbook made my hair stand on end. WOW, what a coincidence. Doris
DeleteDoris,
ReplyDeleteAn uncle I was close to while growing up was a fire fighter. My son-in-law is the fire chief here in Springfield. My oldest son worked for the Forest Service as a fire fighter for several years before enlisting in the Air Force (not a fire fighter, but a survival trainer... story for another time). Responding to fires is a heroic endeavor, and I admire, and honor, any person who does this.
I've fought several prairie fires with wet gunny sacks, inadequate buckets of water, and shoveling dirt on hotspots as fast as I could. It's scary as hell.
This was a wonderfully touching article. Thank you for sharing.
Kaye, that is so amazing. I've not have had to fight a fire and I admire you for doing so. My parents home burnt when I was in college and I returned home after graduation to help in the rebuilding. It is so scary.
DeleteI am glad this post touched to many people. It is a subject near to my heart. Doris