Willimantic Fire Department

Bank St Headquarters Bank St. Headquarters was built in 1886 and a year later became home to Alert Hose Company Number One and Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company.  Note the  “Alert” and “Excelsior” bricks above the keystones	Bank St. headquarters - 1908 The Bank Street fire house is pictured here in 1908. The Excelsior Hook and Ladder's wagon is in front.	Bank Street Headquarters	Bank Street Headquarters
Christmas at Bank St. HQ Bank St. headquarters is decorated for Christmas. The “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” signs were created in the basement of the old Bank Street Headquarters in 1953. Firefighters Dick Garneau, Milton Shippee and Joseph Whalen created the signs. The signs are still used on the new headquarters.	Montgomery Hose Co. 2  - Jackson St. In 1886, Willimantic began building two new firehouses. The Montgomery's firehouse was dedicated in 1887 just a few months after the opening of the Bank Street firehouse. In this 1889 picture, the Montgomery Hose wagon sits in the doorway.	The Montgomery Hose Company  Firehouse The Montgomery Hose Company consisted mainly of Irish firemen. They built this hose house on Jackson Street in the 1880s. Also visible are the "Montgomery" brickwork and the "2" on the door's keystone.	The Montgomery Hose  Company  Firehouse It is pictured here just before it was demolished in 1974.
Hilltop Hose Company 3 Firehouse The Hilltop Hose firehouse on Summit St. It was built in 1903 and was  twenty-eight by thirty-six feet and included the old hose house as an ell in the back. There were two large rooms on the second floor, a parlor and an assembly room. Hilltop Hose was now equipped with two hose wagons as well as the old Excelsior hook and ladder truck.	Hilltop Hose Company 3 Firehouse	Hilltop Hose Company 3 Firehouse	Hilltop Hose Company 3 Hilltop Hose Company's Parlor
Alert Hose Company's Parlor It was said that the Alerts had decorated their business and reception rooms  “in fine style”. Their furniture consisted of easy chairs and a “tete-a-tete” and was mahogany framed. There were rich Brussels carpets, Smyrna rugs and elegant drapery over the central arched window.	Alert Hose Company's Assembly Room	Alert Hose Company's Hose Wagon The Alert Hose Company would lavishly decorate its hose wagon for parades in Willimantic and in other towns.	Alert's Hose Wagon The Alerts often traveled to other towns for parades. Here they are gathering for a trip to New London to participate in a parade there.  The Alerts, the Alerts Veterans Corps and their specially decorated hose wagon traveled by special train after being escorted to the railroad station by the fire police and a marching band
Alert Hose Company No. 1  WFD			Montgomery Hose Co. No. 2 WFD
	Hilltop Hose Co. No. 3 WFD
	Excelsior Hook and Ladder WFD
Windham Fire Companies The info says this pic is of the Windham Fire Companies in 1900 and was taken on Pearl st. in Willimantic. From left are: Jarrius Smith, William Swift, Rufus Huntington, William Wales, Henry Page, Edward Burnham, Rufus Rood, Andrew Frink, Charles Larrabee, Charles Rood and William Rood.			WFD Collage Here's an interesting collage of Willimantic Fire Dept. pics throughout the years. Courtesy of Mike Tirone
	Fire Department Auxiliaries	Fire Department Auxiliaries	Fire Department Auxiliaries
1976 Photo courtesy of Joe DeFranco	1976 Photo courtesy of Joe DeFranco	1976 Photo courtesy of Joe DeFranco