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Engine Company No. 9


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The Fire Houses

 Engine Company No. 9
.
 Engine 23 and Squad 23 moved to FS9 and
   becomes Engine 9and Squad 9
.
 Heavy Duty Task Force 9 in service
 (LAFD's 1st Task Force)
  (Truck 24, Pump 24 and Salvage 28 moved
     to FS9,  Squad 9 disbanded)
.
 Task Force 9 (E209 closed)
.
 TASKFORCE 9, ENGINE 209, RA9, RA809

11/27/1899
.
11/01/1960
.
.
06/01/1966
.
.
.
.
7/79
.
Present

916 South Santee Street
.
430 East Seventh Street

11/27/1899 - 1960
.
11/1/ 1960
to
Present



Engine Company No. 9
Santee Street near Ninth Street


Source: LAFD Illustrated 1900
Engine Company No. 9
Santee Street near Ninth Street
1900

Opened November 27, 1899
Land Cost $ 1,250.
Building Cost $ 4,015.
Sq Ft. Floor Area Station                     2,217
Main Building           1,812
Kitchen & Oil Room   405
Sq.Ft.  Site 50x100

5,000

Note: in 1904 building remodeled at cost of $2,362.



E N G I N E 9
ON THE RUN


Source: LAFD Illustrated

1900


Photo by Turk & Haelsig

Engine Company 9

1908

 

Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection

Circa 1905

 

Source: Rodger Embury Collection
Circa 1910

 

Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection
Vincent Photo

Circa 1910

 

Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection
Circa 1910

Los Angeles has a dude horse in its fire department.  His name is Snyder and he is named after the thrice Mayor of this City.
    Snyder in appearance is absolutely all that a fire department horse should be.  When the streets are dry no other horse in the entire department is half so fleet as he.  But when the rain falls and the streets are wet and muddy this particular beast refuses to leave the fire house.
    Snyder is one of the pair of handsome bays of Hose Company No. 9, on Santee street.  At the first tap of the gong, day or night, during dry weather, Snyder is out of his stall and under the harness before the other horses start.  A fireman stands at his head to prevent the anxious animal from starting before the captain gives the word.  When it rains all the efforts of the entire hose crew cannot succeed in getting Snyder from the engine house.
    Yesterday morning the gong struck 1-7-7.  It was for a small fire at Mateo and Sacramento streets.  At the first tap of the gong every horse in the house rushed to his place. Out went the smoking engine, drawn by the three handsome greys.  Snyder and his mate followed the engine to the door, saw the mud in the street, and that settled it.  Snyder stopped as if shot.  The firemen tried every inducement from cube sugar to a baseball bat in an endeavor to start him.  He would stretch his neck for the sugar, and when the bat was applied he backed up.
    When the engine and the three greys returned from the fire Snyder was still master of the situation.  Last winter he did the same thing.  They tried him on the captain's buggy.  One rainy day Snyder's heels sent the little red buggy to the repair shop and the fire captain to the hospital.
    No. 9 hose crew received a horse last night to take the place of the balky dude.  The new animal is not so handsome as Snyder, but does not object to mud.
    "What are you going to do with Snyder?" Assistant Chief O'Donnell was asked last night.
    "Quien Sabe?" (Who Knows) replied O'Donnell.  


The Los Angeles Examiner, June 1, 1905

 


Source: Fred Allen Collection
Courtesy: Captain Duane Warth, LAFD Retired

Engine Company 9 working a 2 1/2".


Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection
Engine 9 on a run.

Circa 1905


 


Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection
Standing left to right:
Pete Moreno, Gardner
Seated left to right:
Jordan holding Petie Dog,  Hammill
Lietu. Tillotson, Capt. Gentry, Criss and Blake

Circa 1910



Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection
Porter's Collection
Note: Fire across from quarters.
The team tied in the foreground,
Engine 9 on the hydrant and Wagon 9 in
front of the fire with its battery in operation.

Circa 1910

 

Source: Roger Embury Collection
Photo 70

Source: Fireman Henry F. McCann
Scrap Book Collection
Circa 1914


PEACEMAKERS GOT THEIR'S
_____
Fireman and Policeman Respectively
Had to Fight Hard After
Separating Combatants

    That the way of a peacemaker is not always an easy one was illustrated last evening when H. F. Gassin and J. P. Pearson, firemen at engine company 9, attempted to separate J. Bergman and Ole Swanson, who were engaged in an encounter at the latter's; home near Ninth and Santee streets.

    As soon as the firemen appeared on the scene Mrs. Algo Koenig, a sister of Swanson, rushed upon him.  Before the fireman knew what he had mixed into he was the center of attack.  With some difficulty he extricated himself from the fight but not before Patrolman Roller interfered.

    Then the crowd attacked Patrolman Roller.  By the time that relief came from the central police station Roller had conquered the people.  In the melee Mrs. Koenig and Swanson received slight gashes.  The woman fell through a window and Swanson was struck with a blunt instrument.

----*--*---

MAYOR REPRIMANDS FIREMAN
____
Whalen Pays Fine and Gets Severe Grilling

    Lieutenant Whalen of engine company No. 9 was fined $20 by the fire commission yesterday morning for overstaying his leave of absence and reporting for duty in an intoxicated condition.  But the $20 fine wasn't a gentle little western zephyr compared to the things Mayor McAleer had to say to him.

    The mayor spoke in low, even tone of voice, drawling his words and giving every one time to sink in.  He declared that Whalen had disgraced the uniform he wore;  that his actions brought ridicule and disgust on the entire department, and much more to the same effect.  But he added that as Whalen was a young man he would give him one more chance and let him go with a fine of $20.  Whalen stood before the mayor and heard himself denounced before a room full of members of the department and citizens and the reprimand evidently had its effect, for he stood first on one foot and then on the other in evident embarrassment.

The Los Angeles Herald, September 15, 1906

The Los Angeles Herald, April 28, 1906

ACCIDENT DELAYS
    FIRE FIGHTERS
______
Street Car Company Blamed for the 
Trouble as Firemen Claim No
Warning Lights Were
Placed by Ditch
______

    While making a run to a fire in the vicinity of Ninth and San Pedro streets last night about 6:10, the hose cart of department No. 9 ran into a deep excavation between the tracks of the street car company.

    The cart was overturned, the horses fell to their knees in the ditch and the firemen barely escaped being thrown beneath the heavy vehicle by quickly jumping before the overturn occurred.

    The fire engine which was but a few paces behind the hose cart, only escaped toppling over in the trench by the warning cries of the hose cart crews which might have resulted in a collision between the two wagons.

    According to the story told by the firemen, no lights had been placed near the excavation as a sign of danger, and the men could not see the entrenchment.

    Delayed in Reaching Fire

    A long delay was caused by the accident, as the heavy wagon had sunk deeply into the soft soil of the ditch and the horses on the fire engine had to be hitched to the cart to free it from the debris.

    By a fortunate chance the fire to which the engine and cart were going was only a small blaze which was soon extinguished by the assistance of neighbors, but had the fire been of any consequence a complete destruction of the property would have resulted by the accident.

    Many complaints have been made recently by the firemen against the utter disregard shown by motormen for the rights of way of fire engines, as their arrival at fires are said to be materially retarded by the refusal of cars to stop to allow the passage of fire engines and carts.  The indifference shown by the street car companies permitting their entrenchments to be left without warning of any kind has aroused such indignation among the firemen as a result of the accident which occurred last night.

------*--*--*------

The Los Angeles Herald, October 2, 1906

FIRE HORSE KILLED, THREE FIREMEN INJURED
The Evening News, January 3, 1906

 

      . . . "Box 166, 1:51 PM. No work".

June 22, 1921 was the last horse 
drawn run for Engine Co. 9.

( --Steamer No. 10 s/n 2460 and Wagon No. 57.)


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