Brenham Fire Company No. 1 - Brenham, Texas
Posted by: 
txoilgas
N 30° 10.037 W 096° 23.742
14R E 750799 N 3340187
Original fire company in Brenham which is now converted to a museum. The current fire house is next to the museum.
Waymark Code: WM7N18
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/11/2009
Views: 9
from their website (
visit link)
Historical records indicate on the night of September 7, 1866 there was an altercation between the citizens of Brenham and several drunken Union soldiers. The soldiers were part of a Union company stationed in the town following the end of the Civil War. As a result of this confrontation, part of the town was burned; one month later the Union soldiers again set fire to the town, destroying an entire block of businesses.
As a result of the fires, the townspeople realized they needed some form of protection from both fires and Union troops. And so in 1867, the Brenham Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was formed. Its mission was to protect the city from fire; however, the underlying reason for the formation was to suppress the lawlessness of Union troops. This military organization, disguised as a volunteer fire department, held the responsibility of protecting the citizens of Brenham as well as their property during Reconstruction.
During the early years of the organization, the members kept their buckets and ladders at home and would carry them to the fire. It was not until 1874 that a hook and ladder truck was purchased for $489.