Material Type

Photograph

Date Range

1892

Description Level

Item

Physical Description

Black and white photograph

Physical Condition

Good

History Biographical

A volunteer fire brigade for Lethbridge was organized at a meeting held on 4 August 1891. The first fire chief was William Colpman. In November, tenders were let for construction of a fire hall. The building was 28 feet by 36 feet, brick and with an iron roof. Cells for people arrested by the police were in the basement, and the second floor had a meeting room for the town council and office space for two clerks. There wasn't a hose tower in the original plans, but one was added during the course of construction. The building, completed in 1892, was known simply as 'The Fire Hall'. It is interesting to note that the second fire hall, generally called No. 1 Fire Hall or the Municipal Building, was completed in 1908 on the same site as the 1892 building and incorporated 85% of the materials used in the 1892 building as a cost-cutting measure. The second building still stands, and houses a variety of businesses and one apartment.

Acquisition Source

Coultry R

Scope and Content

Exterior view of volunteer firefighters and their supporters in front of The Fire Hall in Lethbridge. Among the men in the back row are Mr. Clousten, M. MacKenzie, Mr. Nutting, Jack Currie, Ed Higinbotham. Among the men in the middle row are Curly Whitney, Mr. Horner, Charles Bowman, William Galliher, Norrie MacLeod, Mr. Dickinson, Mr. Galbraight and William Oliver. Among the men seated in the front row are D. Duff, Mr. Russell, Mr. Robinson, George ?, William Henderson, H. Mossip, Eli Saunders, Mayor Harry Bentley, Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Scott. The identifications were provided by Charles A. Magrath.

Notes

Another copy of the same photograph is located in photo album P19731724000.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19760218024

Collection

Archive

Less detail