Company 1’s
Engine 1, Dispatch 1
1818 Fresno Avenue, Stockton, CA 95206
- December 23, 1849: A fire destroys a large part of the tent settlement of Stockton.
- June 15, 1850: Mass town meeting held to promote organizing a fire company.
- June 26, 1850: The Stockton Fire Department formed. J.E. Nutmann appointed Chief Engineer; C.M. Weber purchases engine for the company to use.
- January 29, 1851: City Council buys the engine from Capt. Weber for $3,799.00. The engine is moved from Capt. Weber’s property to a wooden fire house erected on a bridge crossing the Stockton Channel between El Dorado Street and Hunter Street.
- May 6 1851: Second major fire in Stockton; Damages the Engine & House.
- 1851: City Council purchases the a new Engine.
- 1853: The company move into a temporary site on Channel.
- June 7, 1853: The fire company reorganizes the department; elects new chairs; and titles themselves Webers Engine Company 1; 19 Disgruntled members quit the Webers; later form the Eurekas.
- 1862: Webers attain a Steam Engine.
- 1863: Webers move into 25 East Channel Street.
- January 2, 1919: Weber Engine 1 moves into 26 South Hunter Street with the Eurekas and Protection 1; 26-28 South Hunter Street becomes the Main Station.
- July 11, 1944: Engine 1 moves into quarters with Engine 9 at 701 East Park Street.
- February 15, 1954: Engine 1 moves into 1701 West Washington Street.
- January 7 1994: Engine 1 moves into 1818 South Fresno Avenue.
The Weber Bucket Brigade was an informal group of businessmen formed for the purpose of combating fire in the tent city of Stockton. On December 23, 1849 a fire originating on a levee and fanned by strong breezes proved the inadequacy of such methods and laid waste to the entire city. Damage was estimated to be approximately $200,000.
On June 15, 1850 a mass meeting was held for the purpose of organizing a city government. A committee was appointed to “report a temporary plan of fire police, a company of 100 men, and selection of a chief engineer who should have sole control of fires.” On June 26, 1850 J. E. Nutmann was chosen to act as Chief Engineer, A. C. Bradford as Assistant Chief, and Emil Junge as Secretary. Captain C. M. Weber procured a small hand engine from San Francisco, placed in a barn near his home, and gave his permission for the newly formed fire company to use the engine until it was purchased by the council at an agreed price of $3,799. Payments were made and on January 29, 1851 delivery was made to Chief Nuttman who formally placed it in the custody of the Department. So was born the Stockton Fire Department and the company known as the Webers. A subscription list was circulated among the city merchants which raised $1,402 for the purpose of erecting a fire house to house the engine. A small frame building was erected on a bridge then crossing the Stockton Channel between El Dorado and Hunter Streets.
On May 6, 1851 flames again swept over Stockton. Property to the amount of $1,500. Was destroyed. The engine was badly damaged and all of the hose was lost to the flames. The wooden fire house was badly damaged by the fire. The engine was repaired, painted blue, and became known as the Blue Engine. A delay in the purchase of a new hose cart cause the company to threaten disbanding. The Chief was commissioned to proceed to San Francisco and purchased new hose and an engine- not to exceed $6,000. The new machine arrived in due time to be housed at the remains of the bridge house until the flood of 1852 threatened to demolish the structure. The new engine was moved to a site on Channel Street opposite the Magnolia Hotel. On August 2, 1853 a vote of thanks was given to C. M. Weber for the donation of a site for the erection of a company engine house of brick construction to replace the house lost to the fire of 1951 and flood of 1852. It remained at this temporary site until the new fire house at 25 Channel Street was erected to be the Webers Engine Company House in 1863.
A committee was formed September 22, 1860 to negotiate for the purchase of a new engine. Comparisons were between hand engines and a new engine powered by steam. A steam engine (second class) was ordered from Neafie & Levy of Philadelphia, placed aboard the clipper ship Swallow on May 10, 1862, arrived in San Francisco and was placed aboard a California Steam Navigation Company steamer for transportation to Stockton. On New Years Day 1863 the engine company participated at its first public trial. The new hose wagon arrived shortly before the engine.The Webers Company 1 remained at 25 East Channel Street until January 3, 1919 when they consolidated on the quarters of Eureka Company 2 at 26 South Hunter Street which adjoined the Protection Hook and Ladder Company 1 and the Service Ladder Company 2 at 28 South Hunter Street. The house then became known as the Main Station - 26 to 28 South Hunter Street. Engine Company 1 remained in this location until July 11, 1944. Engine 1 moved into quarters with Engine Company 9 located at 701 East Park Street and responded from that station until a new station was built. On February 15, 1954 Engine Company 1 moved into 1701 West Washington Street and a highly industrialized district as the First In Responder for the Port of Stockton and the following industries: Tillie Lewis Cannery and Can Company, Fiberboard Paper Manufacturing Company, Hormel Food Company, California Cedar Products Company, McCormick Baxter Creosoting Company, the gasoline storage tank farms of the Time Oil Company, Richfield Oil Company, Mobil Gas Company, and all of the larger industrial companies along West Charter Way and Navy Drive.
During the construction of Interstate 5 and the bridge crossing the Stockton Channel, much of the warehousing and industrial locations along the Stockton Channel were demolished or relocated to other locations. A study of public safety was made in 1988 by the Cresap-McCormick Company. Based upon their findings Engine 1 was inappropriately close to the West Sonora Street Company 2 and that Company 1 should be closed or relocated to better serve the city. In 1990, an increasing growth of workers from the bay area moving to Stockton and commuting to their jobs facilitated construction of a 1200 acre subdivision known as Weston Ranch along Interstate 5. A residential and industrial study of that growth suggested the possibility of relocating Engine Company 5 (located the at Lever Boulevard and West Eighth Street) further south and relocating Engine Company 1 to a southern location within their enlarged district. On January 7, 1994 the new firehouse at 1818 South Fresno Avenue was completed and ready for occupancy.
The construction, design, and layout of the 1818 South Fresnoe Avenue is identical to Engine Company 5’s firehouse and Engine Company 14’s firehouse.
(L. Peterson Research, D.O.T.)
Odds & Ends