Under the 19th-century rules of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), when horses were no longer fit for the hard service of pulling engines, hose reels, or ladder trucks, the department would sell them at auction to any huckster that needed an old horse to pull his cart or do his dirty work. But no such fate was to come to Jim—at least not if Chief Hugh Bonner or Engine 33 Captain William H. Nash had any say in the matter.
Posts Tagged ‘FDNY history’
1879: Jim, the FDNY Fire Horse of Engine 33 Who Earned His Pension
Posted: 29th December 2022 by The Hatching Cat in FDNY Horses/Mascots, Horse TalesTags: Chief Hugh Bonner, Engine Company 33, Engine Company 52, FDNY history, William H. Nash
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1904: Baltimore, the New York City Fire Dog Mascot of Engine 26
Posted: 25th September 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Baltimore Fire, Engine Company 26, FDNY history, fire dogs
During their brief time in Baltimore during the great fire of 1904, the firemen of FDNY Engine Company 26 adopted a stray dog who followed them throughout the day. The men called him Baltimore and decided to make him their mascot. The dog seemed agreeable to the arrangement and traveled back to New York via train to his new firehouse home.
The Pole-Dancing Fire Cats of Gotham
Posted: 14th July 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Cats of Old New York, FDNY fire cats, FDNY history, New York City History, Pounce Cat Cafe
Here’s a tribute to a few “pole-dancing” fire cats that I’ve featured in earlier posts, as well as some snippets of fire-cat stories that will be in my upcoming book on FDNY animal mascots (in other words, this is a tease…)
1897: Dan, the Lifesaving Fire Horse, and Dick, his pal, of Engine 4 at Old Slip
Posted: 14th May 2022 by The Hatching Cat in FDNY Horses/Mascots, Horse TalesTags: Engine Company 4, FDNY history, Martin Cook, New York City History, Old Slip
When FDNY veteran Martin Cook received his promotion to captain of Engine 4 in 1886, the company received two horses, Dan and Dick. Even as the two horses aged, they did the city and the FDNY proud. Captain Cook often received offers to trade in his team for younger animals, but he always turned them down. According to the FDNY veteran, there was not a more reliable, more careful, or faster team of fire horses in America.
1910 and 1931: Happy and Pansy, the Cat-Saving Fire Dogs of the FDNY
Posted: 16th April 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Engine 225, Engine 36, FDNY history, FDNY mascots, fire dogs, John H. Doherty
In 1910 and 1931, Happy and Pansy were two cat-saving fire dogs of the FDNY who ran into burning buildings to save their natural enemy.
