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Chief of Department
457 & 459 E.67th Street June 27, 1899 |
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| Special Orders No. 52 | |
By Order of, Edward F. Croker Acting Chief of Department
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| ENGINE 69 THE FIRST 100 YEARS ~ | |
| The Woodlawn Section of the Bronx, before
being annexed by the City of New York, was part of the City
of Yonkers, which included the land north of Gun Hill Road
to Marble Hill. New York annexed all the land between the
Bronx River, Harlem River and the Hudson River on January 1,
1874, this area became known as the Annexed District or the
23rd and 24th Wards. Since the land was so far away from
Manhattan and inexpensive, the City of New York purchased
large tracts of land for parks. Parks would surround the
little enclave of Woodlawn, Bronx River Park on the east and
Van Cortlandt Park on the west, Woodlawn Cemetery to the
south and the City of Yonkers to the north. Before the annexation, the Avalanche Hose Company #7 provided the fire protection to this part of Yonkers. Once annexed, the City of New York did not replace the Avalanche Hose Company and the area had no fire protection. The closest fire company was Chemical Engine 3 (now Engine 45) at Longfellow Avenue and Rodman Place and Ladder 18 (disbanded and replaced by Ladder 19) at 166th Street and Washington Avenue. With the horses, it took, forty-three minutes to respond to Woodlawn. Engine 52 was placed in service in Riverdale in 1882, still a distance away and Engine 63 was placed in service on February 1, 1896 on White Plains Road and East 24Oth Street, which was closer but still not in Woodlawn. Every year the citizens of Woodlawn requested fire protection but it would not be until 1892 when land would be purchased for a firehouse. On August 4, 1892, the City bought an irregular shaped lot from Albert & Mary Howe for $1 ,500. The lot located on then Grand Avenue (now E. 233rd Street) at Katona Avenue was 53 feet in the front and only 30 feet in the back. It would be several years before a firehouse would be built on the site. 
Engine 69 in front of quarters on E. 233rd Street with the 1883 Clapp & Jones steamer, 1888 Gleason & Bailey hose wagon and the 1899 Hoepfner & Wuest ladder truck in the Bronx, 1900. Bids for the new house were received on October 20, 1897 and would not be opened because the grade of Grand Avenue would be changed and the plans would have to be altered. Finally on November 10, the bids were opened and lowest bid of John F. Johnson was accepted for $15,686. Seven bids were received for the new house with the highest being $22,500. The new firehouse was finished by the end of October 1898, The Woodlawn Taxpayer's Association sent a letter to the Fire Chief wondering when the newly finished house would be occupied. The Department's response was that no company would be placed in service until after Grand Avenue was rebuilt and the grade changed. Finally 25 years of asking for a fire company, Woodlawn had its own fire company; when Engine 69 was placed in service on July 1, 1899, The three bay, two-story firehouse opened with an eleven-man crew, operating a steam fire engine, hose wagon and a ladder truck. Engine 69 was known as a Combination Company, with one captain in charge of the house and a lieutenant riding on the ladder truck. The eleven-man crew would be assigned to one of the pieces of apparatus from day to day. The ladder truck was known as Engine 69 and the members would wear a 69 front piece on their helmet. The engine and hose wagon could respond without the ladder and the ladder could respond by itself. The Bronx assignment book listed ladder 69 in the column for ladder responses. Together they responded to 75 boxes, 17-1 st alarm boxes, 41-2nd alarm boxes and 16-3rd alarm boxes. The firemen at the turn of the century did not have to worry about mutual partners or if he had to work today or tomorrow. The work chart was quite simple; 24-hour tours for 5 days and one day off. He also received two 12-hour tours off a month that could not be combined with the 24-hour off tour. A fireman could go home for meals for an hour at a time, three times a day or twice a day for one and a half hours or once for three hours off. The pay for a fireman was $1,000 a year or thirteen cents an hour. During a twenty-hour tour of duty, a fireman had a watch to do at the front desk; he could be detailed as a messenger to headquarters or to the battalion or be assigned to another firehouse for a sick or injured fireman. Then there was also the care of the horses, feeding, exercise, grooming and cleaning to keep one busy. Most companies had at least three horses to look after; Engine 69 had seven horses. 
Engine 69 pulling out of quarters for a run with their 1883 Clapp & Jones Steamer, early 1900's Occasionally a fire alarm would come in. Engine 69 responded to only two alarms for the rest of 1899. A busy company would respond to maybe 300 runs a year. During 1915, Engine 69 had responded to 28 alarms, the highest number of runs to date. Ladder 39, located on 1st Avenue and E. 93rd Street, Manhattan, was organized with Engine 89 on February 1, 1909. They were organized because of an arsonist that was operating in the area. Once the arsonist was caught the need for these two companies no longer existed and on January 1, 1916, the temporary firehouse was closed. Engine 89 was reorganized into the second section of Engine 91 and moved in with Engine 91 on E. 111th Street. Ladder 39 was relocated to the former quarters of Engine 69 in the Bronx and received the ladder truck that belonged to Engine 69 with the rest of Engine 69 being disbanded. For years, Harlem had only one ladder company, Ladder 14, located at E. 125th Street at Park Avenue. On the West of Manhattan the only ladder company would be Ladder 22 at Amsterdam Avenue and W. 97th Street. Engine 38 had a ladder truck assigned to the company for years but they were located up in the Washington Heights and it was a very long response for it. Ladder 23 went in service in 1898, on 140th Street, Vinegar Hill, which was growing faster than Harlem during this time. In 1904, Ladder 26 was placed in service at E. 114th Street and 5th Avenue as a double company. Ladder 28 went in ser- vice as a double ladder company on January 15, 1905 in a two-bay, three-story firehouse at 248 W. 143rd Street. As Harlem and Washington Heights continued to grow, more companies were added making the second section of Ladder 28 unnecessary and it was disbanded on January 1, 1915. Harlem's population was exploding with the extension of the subway system and rail lines. As with any growth, the demand on city services also increased. The fire department realizing this need would have to place another engine company in service someplace in Harlem. Because of the geography of the area, the Heights to the west and the East River to east, response times were longer and the companies were getting busier. Companies from the Heights had to come down a steep grade to reach this part of Harlem. The other companies in Harlem had a long run to reach the area and Engine 60 had to cross a bridge, which was congested most of the time. The seven companies in the area, Engines 37,38,41, 59, 60, 80, and 84 averaged 235 runs for 1916. America had entered World War I during April of 1917. The threat of sabotage was all around the New York area since the War had started in 1914. The Port of New York, which included the New Jersey waterfront, was bursting at the seams with war materials for Europe. Several large fires nearly wiped out the harbor at various times. On January 1, 1917 several second sections were added to engine companies along the busy docks. On April 17, 1917, four-second section companies were added to Engine 17, 72, Ladder 8 and 35. A single engine company was also placed in service, which was added to Ladder 28's quarters. This was Engine 69 and would be reorganized on a temporary basis for the duration of the War. 
The "Harlem Hilton" in the 1920's. Because Engine 69 was first placed in service on a temporary basis, it was manned with men detailed from other companies. To put Engine 69 in service, Engine 38, located at Amsterdam Avenue and W. 155th Street, would be disbanded. Engine 69 was answering many calls for only being a temporary company, which showed it was needed in the area. Instead of disbanding the company, it was placed in service on a permanent status on September 12, 1918. Nine of the sixteen members of Engine 69 had come from Engine 38. The others came from surrounding companies. The apparatus assigned to the reorganized Engine 69 was an 1899 American 1st size steamer with a front wheel drive tractor and a 1917 South Bend hose wagon. As time went on and Harlem continued to grow, so the did number of runs that Engine 69 responded. During the mid-1960's the social climate of the country changed with the use of drugs, life styles, and arson for profit. Harlem was hit hard by this change and Engine 69 was kept busy. During the 1950's, Engine 69 was responding to 1400 runs a year to over 5000 runs by 1975. In the 134 years, since the paid department has been formed, almost 800 men have lost their lives while protecting the citizens of New York City. Three of them have come from Engine 69. Fireman James J. Murphy died on July 4, 1924 when he fell from the first floor to the bottom of the hose tower. Fireman Charles Stenvall, Jr. died on October 16, 1940 at 254 to 256 W. 146th Street. Fireman James J. Ruane died from smoke and burns on November 17, 1962. 
The kitchen during the late 1950's - Front left: FF. Joe Boylan, L-28, Chief Mike De Lait, BC-16, FF's. Lou Telfer E-69, Gene Scott, L-28, Pat Creegan, L-28, Capt. Roy Sullivan, L-28, FF's. Tom Ferrioulo, L-28, obscured person, Ed O'loughlin, E-69, Lt. Larry Centrilla, E-69, FF. Ralph Carrozza, E-69 and a detail. Over the years, no matter whether in Woodlawn or Harlem, Engine 69 has been providing the citizens of New York City with loyal fire protection. No matter what the call is; fire, EMS, or public service Engine 69 will be ready and willing to help for the next 100 years. THE MEN IN 1988 
Left to right: FF's. Fred Soloman, E-69, Larry Intrabartola, E-69, Mike McPartland, L-28, Pete Morgan, E-69, Jimmy Mallon, L-28, and Fred Anello, L-28 BROTHERLY LOVE 
John Markotich and Lt. Joe Flanagan |
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