Fairhaven Organizes for Fire
Twenty-five citizens meet to fund hose, carts, and a bucket brigade ahead of the city's formal incorporation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Last Saturday a meeting was called in the chamber of commerce rooms to organize a fire company, and about twenty-five gentlemen were present. Turner, a member of the committee appointed to solicit subscriptions for the purchase of hose, carts, and other appliances to be used with the new fire engine to be furnished by Nelson Bennett, reported that the committee had already raised $2,000 and at least $300 more could be counted on. Mr. Wardner was asked when the water system would be completed, and in reply said that May 15th or June 1st would be the outside time allowed. It was decided that the fire house should be located near the bridge on lower Harris Street, as a reservoir could easily be built there. Mr. Kinghorn suggested that, in the time before these modern improvements could be brought here, a bucket brigade should be organized. Messrs. Wardner, Allerton, and Francis were appointed to organize this brigade.
“It was decided that the house should be located near the bridge on lower Harris Street, as a reservoir could easily be built from which the water could be pumped.”
This meeting captures Fairhaven in its 'boom' transition—a nascent city scrambling to build infrastructure before the first official fire occurred. Today, these same civic responsibilities are managed by the Bellingham Fire Department, but the spirit of community-led volunteerism remains a core part of Washington's small-town identity.
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