Items

• Weehawken Fireman Badge

  Metal fireman's badge from the Palisade Hose Company, organized in 1895 and located on Jane Street in the Weehawken Heights. The badge belonged to Frederick J. Bergmann Jr, and then to his son Frederick. The '2' on the badge stands for the Palisade Hose Company, the '47' at the bottom was the member number. According to John Bergmann, who donated the badge: "My understanding on the badge is that it started with great-grandfather when he was a volunteer & then when my grandfather joined, it was passed to him. Apparently, so the family history goes, great-grandfather was very active on Board of Freeholders somewhere in that time & since they both were on the same company, it was handed down." The badge was manufactured by the C.D. Reese Company, which was located at 57 Warren Street, New York, NY.
• 1921 Erie Railroad Fire Report

  A 17-page report of the November 3-4, 1921 Erie Railroad Fire at the Weehawken Terminal. The report was published on November 30, 1921.
• Photo - 1940 - Men of Engine 4

  Black and white photo of members of the Weehawken Fire Department in 1940. There is a hand written caption on the reverse of the photo naming the people in the picture. From left to right:Captain Pat Duryer - coveralls, Deputy Chief Reeves - white shirt, Joe Cusick - sitting left, Rich Brinkman - sitting right. Engine # 4 Duer Place Fire Department Headquarters. 1928 Maximum Fire Truck Pumper (Best pumper made). 2005000021,Newspaper Clipping - Super-Highway in Old Highwood,Undated and unidentified newspaper clipping describing the history of the King family of Highwood Park and Kingswoods sections of Weehawken.
• Photo - Men of Engine 4 - 1940

  Black and white photo, dated 1940 with a handwritten caption on the reverse. From left to right: Driver Rich Brinkman Captain Patty Duryea Nozzle Man John Bradley Chief's Driver Joe Cusick This photo is labeled Engine #4 - Duer Place - Fire Headquarters. This item is in the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission
• Photo - 1940 - Deputy Fire Chief Reeves and Joe Cusick

  Black and white photo of Deputy Fire Chief Reeves and his chauffeur, Fireman Joe Cusick standing in front of Engine 4 on Duer Place. This item is in the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Photo - 1937 - Fire Chiefs Ryan and O'Neill

  Black and white photo showing Fire Chiefs Ryan (Left) and O'Neill (Right), Engine No. 4, standing near Fire Headquarters on Duer Place in 1937. This item is in the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission
• Photo - 1920s - Fire Chief O'Neill and Chauffeur Joe Cusick

  This black and white photo has a handwritten caption on the back reading: Under electric ferry 1920s Chief Wm O'Neill Chauffeur Joe Cusick New Chiefs Car Late 1920s
• Ex Foreman Badge - Palisade Fire Company - 1925

  Badge of the Palisade Hose Co No. 2. According to Willie Demontreux: The early Fire Departments ran like clubs or businesses. The hierarchy consisted of President, Vice President, Foreman (Asst Foreman) Secretary, Treasurer, then firemen in rank order. Later an engineer was added to run and operate motorize rigs (these were the first paid firefighters.) Palisade Hose Company became Weehawken Engine No. 2, with the ranks of Chief, Deputy Chief, Battalion Chief, Captain and Firefighter. The 1925 date indicates the end of the volunteer fire department, made of local residents, and becoming rank and file of the township fire department, a civil service job. From the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Weehawken Fireman Badge

  Weehawken Fireman Badge marked with a large 2 and smaller number 64. It appears that the 2 is the unit number and the 64 is the badge number. There is no indication of the date that this badge was in use. From the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Badge - Weehawken Civil Defense Fire Department

  Silver badge reading 'Auxiliary Fire Department - Weehawken N.J.' with an enameled Civil Defense emblem. This badge was donated to the Weehawken Historical Commission by its owner, who was a member of the department in the 1950s. The back of the badge reads 'S.H. Reese, 57 Warren Street, New York,
• A Tribute from the Baldwin Hose Co.

  A resolution of tribute in memoriam of Thomas Wright, a member of the Baldwin Hose Company, dated May 3, 1910. From the collection of Mark Wright.
• Peter Scentel

  Undated sepia toned photograph of Peter Scentel, a member of the Baldwin Hose Company and also Sunday School Superintendent of the W. 19th St. Methodist Episcopal Church. From the collection of Mark Wright.
• Fire Bell

  Metal firebell with wooden handle, circa 1900. From the collection of Mark Wright: "My great Grandfather Thomas Wright's firebell which he rang through the streets of the Shades to summon other firemen to pull the old fire engine to a fire."
• Weehawken Fire Department Engine 4

  This photo came to the Time Machine from Ken Mc Ardle, Asst. Chief (ret.) of the Jim Thorpe Fire Department, Diligent Fire Company 3. According to Jeff Welz (of North Hudson Fire and Rescue fame), this truck dates from 1974 and was stationed at the 46th Street firehouse on Park Avenue.
• Fire Engine and Crew - Undated

  Black and white photograph of the Palisades Hose Company No. 2 in front of their quarters at the dead end of Jane street. According to Willie Demontreux: They are standing next to an American LaFrance fire engine, from the 1920s (models from that time tend to repeat design. It appears that the company was drilling with the engine because the street is very wet. The Firefighter in the center with the bell cap is George Walters. From the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Horse Wagon - Palisade Hose Company 2

  This black and photograph shows a horse drawn fire engine used by the Palisade Hose Company. Time Machine user George Browne sent in this further information: When I worked at the Jane Street firehouse in the late 1970s, there was a resident who lived at the dead-end of Jane S by the name of Freddie Klinky, Freddie was in his 60s at the time and he had lived all his life on Jane St. His father had been a member of the Palisade Hose Company when the FD was a volunteer FD and used horse drawn apparatus. According to Freddie, the Palisade Hose Company did not have horses, but instead relied on delivery men from Macys, Gimbels, etc to use their horses to pull the apparatus. According to Freddie (and he is long gone), when the fire bell sounded, the delivery men would race to the fire house, disconnect the horses from their wagons, connect them to the fire apparatus and take it to the fire. Once positioned at the fire, the delivery men would disconnect and go back to their deliveries. According to Freddie, the delivery men were paid $5 each time they hauled the hose wagon to the fire (a nice sum of money in the early 1900s) It was up to the FD to get the apparatus back to quarters after the fire. From the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Testing the new Knox Motorized Fire Engine - 1912

  Back and white photo, dated 1912, shows the crowd along Boulevard East near Van Clief's Hotel, who turned out to see the new Knox Motorized Fire Engine. The Pier 7 grain elevator looms large behind the engine. This photo from the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission
• Weehawken Fire Department Engine - 1912

  Black and white photograph from 1912. This engine was given to Clifton Hose Company 3 with this rig when they moved from the edge of the Palisades at Boulevard East and 48th Street to the 4610 Park Ave Firehouse, where she still stands (104 years later. ) The company is in front of the Renner steps built by the Henry and Renner construction company who did work in the Highwood area. The steps ran from the bluffs to the valley park. From the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Certificate of membership in the Weehawken Fire Department

  This certificate, issued by the Trustees of the Weehawken Fire Department in the Township of Union, County of Hudson, State of New Jersey, admitted Frederick H. Hermann as a new member of the Department, to serve for a term of 7 years. Dated March 6, 1876. From the collection of the Weehawken Historical Commission.
• Weehawken Fire Department Engine 1

  Black and white photograph, circa 1927 of an early pumper from the Baldwin Hose Co., parked in from of St. Lawrence Church (at left). In 1912, the first modern motor-driven engine was purchased for the Clifton Hose Company firehouse on Park Avenue. It was the responsibility of the first 3 full-time paid members. The 2nd motorized engine was installed at the Baldwin Hose Company in 1919 and by year's end, the department was completely equipped with motor-driven apparatus. In 1924, the first aerial truck was purchased.
• Photo - At the 46th Street Firehouse

  Time Machine viewer Barbara Helmich sent in this colored photo in front of the 46th Street Firehouse and the following information: My Dad, Walter Helmich was a Weehawken fireman for 28 years. He retired in 1974. I'm not sure who the other firemen in the picture are. Dad is second from the left. I'm guessing that to his right may be Frank Crossan, then Frank Wackling and maybe Carl Wick. The only one I'm sure of is my Dad. The picture was taken in front of the firehouse on Park Ave and 46th St. Thanks, Barbara!
• Fire Training for North Hudson Hospital

  Black and white photograph, circa 1970. According to George Browne, who got this picture from Dennis Cosgrove, who got it from Sean Sullivan, it shows Weehawken Fire Department Captain Joe Fredericks on the left and Chief Robert Cahill on the right. It looks like this is a training session for North Hudson Hospital nurses in dealing with bed fires (or maybe spontaneous combustion?). The picture also includes former Mayor Stanley Iacono (who used to live on Shippen Street) who served when mayor Krause left office in 1966. So the picture is probably in the late 1960s. Also in the picture on left is school nurse Evelyn O'Neil who was a nurse in Webster School in the 1950s and later in other schools until at least the early 1980s. According to Weehawken Tax Collector Joe Fredricks (son of the Fire Captain in the picture), this drill took place around 1970-1972.
• Weehawken Fire Engine - 1959

  This is the cover from a catalog of fire engines published in 1959. The caption reads: Weehawken, N.J. - Raymond Lax, driver and member of the Weehawken New Jersey Fire Department gets an assist as he washes the department's new FWD pumper from a neighborhood boy whose name is Freddy and who says that one day, he too will be a fireman. Freddy uses his newly acquired 'Squirty,' a toy water gun. Raymond says that the new four wheel drive truck gives splendid performance and that he is very happy with it. According to friend of the Time Machine George Browne (who was a member of the Weehawken Fire Department and later the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue), 'Ray went on to become the Signal Superintendent of the WFD and then helped establish North Hudson Communications Center (Fire Control). Ray also served as the first Director for Fire Control.
• Weehawken Fire Department - Ladder 1 on Park Ave

  The Weehawken Fire Department's Ladder 1, a 1949 American La France 100 foot aerial ladder outside of the Clifton Hose Company's firehouse on Park Avenue. This image was sent in by Tom Heck. Location information for this item: 4611 Park Avenue
• Weehawken Fire Department - Engine 3 on Park Ave

  The Weehawken Fire Department's Engine 3, a 1924 American La France engine outside of the Clifton Hose Company's firehouse on Park Avenue. This image was sent in by Tom Heck.