By John Conrad
Bath Courier
Bath, N.Y. — The Bath Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating 175 years of serving the Bath community this year.
In 1837, a special meeting of the trustees was held to consider the best method to organize a fire department. It was voted to allow the trustees to raise up to $500 to purchase apparatus, dig wells and buy a fire engine, provided it could be bought on two years’ credit. The trustees met the following day and sanctioned Bath’s first fire company. The ordinance would provide for a fire department of 20 men with one foreman and an assistant. It was later determined that the village was unable to purchase a fire engine on credit, so 50 buckets were made for the first organization.
The village took delivery of its first fire engine in September 1839 for the cost of $400. The wonderful engine so pleased the village fathers and astonished natives by its marvelous performance that an extra $60 was paid to the manufacturer.
Full story: Bath Volunteer Fire Department marks 175th anniversary