The city of Houston faced many perils during the early years of its growth.
Periods of flood and fever made it a difficult and dangerous place in which to
live. As our flooding problems grow, the task of taming Mother Nature
—even in modern times—is often an exercise in futility. Fighting fires, however, was a job Houstonians
tackled from the beginning with great determination.
Protection No. 1 was the first volunteer fire company in Houston. It was founded
in 1836 by August Allen and remained the only fire company for the next 22
years. It was considered to be a well organized bucket brigade and purchased
its first fire engine around 1850. Due to a lack of manpower nearing the end of
the civil war, slaves provided the fire fighting labor and kept the city from
burning down.
Houston firemen have a long history of distinguishing service to the community.
Drew Campbell King was my great grandfather and a proud member of the Houston
fire department. He joined the department in 1898, becoming part of the first
group of paid firemen. Drew was captain of station No. 7 on Milam for more than
30 years. It was the first fire station constructed by the city of Houston, and
today is the home of the fire museum. He was known to carry a pair of pistols
in his belt and on special occasions (like the ending of WWI) shot them into
the ceiling of station No. 7 in celebration.
As a boy, my grandfather
Captain Drew Campbell King, the disciplinarian of the Fire Department (with
guns).
• Captain King, second from left, with his crew in front of station No. 7. • (below) A vintage piece of firefighting equipment from Engine Company 7 on
parade in the 1950s.
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