Waynesville's First Fire Engine in the 1850s ~ "The Buckeye"

In an article written for the Miami-Gazette newspaper, Daniel R. Anderson remembers the village's first fire engine (Miami-Gazette, July 18, 1906):

"Early in the fifties of 1800, Waynesville had outgrown a very able Hook and Ladder Fire Co. by the infusion of some young Americans into the sphere of usefulness who clamored for a real fire engine, and to satisfy said lads and at the same time gain a sense of security a committee was appointed and authorized to go to Cincinnati and purchase a suitable fire extinguisher, which they were not long in doing.

Coming home they announced that they had bought the powerful 8 break, 32-man fire engine, 'Buckeye,' and that it would come up the Little Miami Railroad the next day. A Fire Company was organized that night, and my recollection is that it took in about all the available young men living at that time in the town. Mart Holland was elected engineer; John P. Kinney and myself assistant engineers in charge of the suction hose, Will Henley, Dave Parshall, Hen, Tom and Luke Manington had the care of the hose and all took turns at directing the nozzle. Everybody was in a fever of excitement for the arrival, which came and found everybody there at Corwin to give it a most generous welcome. The Buckeye was speedily unloaded and the big rope with which it was propelled uncoiled and fastened in place. Kinney and I were the ones at the tongue to guide the machine and everyone present who could took a hand at the rope, while others as willingly 'boosted', and away across the river bottom, up North Street to Main, to the Hammell House horse trough where the Buckeye took her first baptism. Some thoughtful person had pumped the water into the long trough till it was full, and we were not long in getting the suction hose into position, and then, oh ecstasy moment, what a cheer rent the air when our chief engineer shouted, 'Down on the breaks!'

Then we began to show evidence of a hastily, well drilled and willing Fire Co. The water in the trough began to disappear, soon to reappear in a hundred or more little streams from cracks in the box of the machine occasioned by standing long in inactivity and I remember that the leakage, cooled somewhat the enthusiasm of the crowd that was present in honor of the occasion and some truthful remarks were made about the 'old water pot' but we persisted till we 'swelled' her up and she began to as Dick Morrow (owner of the "Morrow House") who was a spectator said: Sq Sq Sq Sq-Squirt! ha! ha! Some how or other the nozzle got inclined in the direction of the line of fire we were under and right then and there gained our first put out. Right there too was demonstrated the total uselessness of the costly Buckeye Engine. I might call it Waynesville's first 'Gold Brick.'

There were no cisterns then and it would have been a physical impossibility to get sufficient water elsewhere. We pulled up and went on down Main street to the bridge over Camp Run which at that time had a deep hole of water and we tried that and succeeded in throwing water, considerably less than a good many feet. After exhausting that body of water we sought other imaginary fires to conquer and to show to the admiring citizens that it would work. We came back up Main street as far as the well at the Leak residence when someone suggested a 'try'. We got the suction hose down in to the well and the order, 'Down on the brakes' was given. At that time there was a barber shop in old 'broad house' kept by a colored man, Mr. Sam G. Smothers, who at the time was standing on the platform in front of his shop with one Mr. Buck Lynch, and they little thought of the attraction they were making or of the eccentricity of the machine, but they were not left long in ignorance for some one said there was a fire at the barber shop, and that was all that was required and whoever handled the nozzle done to a turn, one black and one brownie.

After that we took the Buckeye into one of the open sheds back of the Hammell House, where it rested in peace and quiet its natural life; never, I believe, was it called up for the real thing ~ to put out a fire. Nevertheless, Waynesville always had a bucket brigade, and I remember when I was broken out with measles, a fire that burned the second story of the Heighway property ~ John E. Cline and his mother occupied it then ~ was put out by the bucket brigade, and snow balls. There was a deep soft snow, and I never missed going to a fire and I threw snow balls with others to beat the band, and went back home and to bed, for only ten weeks, so that was stamped in the goods and that was in '53 or '54."

The "Buckeye" was probably built at the newly formed A.B. & E. Latta "Buckeye Works" in Cincinnati.

• Mart Holland is Joel Marshal Holland the son of Reeve Holland, a carpenter in Waynesville. The family is listed int eh 1850 Census.
• According to the 1850 Census David Parshall was living with the Morris Cook household. Morris Cook was a tailor in Waynesville and owned a clothing shop.
• Will Henley is one of the sons of Moses Henley, a tanner in Waynesville according to the 1850 Census.
• Hen, Tom and Luke (Lewis) Manington were the sons of Joseph Manington, a shoemaker, of Corwin, according to the same census.

For more information about Daniel R. Anderson see, Triple Murder in Waynesville ~ Willie Anderson.

For more information about businesses and occupations in Waynesville see, WAYNESVILLE BUSINESSES & PROFESSIONS LISTED IN THE MIAMI VISITOR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER WITH FURTHER INFORMATION INCLUDED.