Only a few years ago the old fire-bell was taken down from the roof of the City Hall and taken to the Boy Scout camp over in Jo Daviess County. This, with the exception of some photographs, is all that is left to tell of the earlier days in our city when fire fighting was done by the younger men of the city, organized into fire companies, as was the custom for many, many years in all American towns and cities.

How well I remember the rapid clanging of this big bell which, covered by a small canopy, stood at the apex of the four sided roof of the fire station. When the old building was torn down and the present City Hall was built on this site in 1899 the bellw as placed in a secluded place on the roof and for a long time after that it was the custom to ring it for all fire alarms. There was also another public alarm, three steam whistles of different sizes and tones, at the water works. However, as the telephones became numerous most of the alarms came to the station by that means and the attendants at teh water works were not notified. I remember too that for a long time the bell was tolled at the time of the funeral of any man who had belonged to a volunteer fire company or who had served on the fire department. But all those of the volunteer companies passed away long, long ago.

In 1882 the water works was installed and then the fire hydrants delivered water at great pressure. Than all of the old equipment was disposed of and the paid fire department was organized. This consisted of only a few men who were on duty day and night with only one day and night off each week. There was one reel-type hose truck manned by four or five men and drawn by two horses on a fast run. A rapidly clanging gong on the truck or cart, as it was commonly called, cleared the way. There was also one small hook and ladder truck, drawn by one horse. I was then a small boy and to see this turn-out or a fire alarm was something very thrilling.

The old volunteer firemen did the best they could to put ou fires and save property from destruction, with the limited equipment and facilities they then had. Even when the steam fire engines got to a fire there was no source from which to pump. Then the only remaining means left to them was that of passing a line of buckets filled with water from nearby wells and cisterns. I remember my father telling of one hot summer night when he was unable to sleep, and as he sat by an open window he heard the far-off cry of "fire." He hurriedly put on his trousers and shoes and ran the four blocks up Stephenson St. and rang the fire-bell. Soon firemen came to man the ropes, which pulled the engines. The fire was the sheds of a brick-yard away out on Adams St. so it is doubtful if, when they got there, there was any waer available or that there was anything that they do do.

There were some drainage water cisterns uner the streets in various parts of the city though more numerous and of larger capacity in the downtown district. There are two of these at least, still intact. One is under Exchange Street at the jail and the other is under Chicago Street, just north of Stephenson. Another was at Adams adn Galena (Main St. now) but this one has perhaps ben all or partially filled in. I also know of one on Union St. (So. Chicago now) near So. Galena Ave. and another, a round brick one, at the head of Broadway where it intersects with Locust.

Story from "Life & Times in Freport" by Leslie T. Fargher 1967 Photo Contributed by Billie Jo Read