A photo from the Eagle House archives.
ANSONIA — In 1871, after a fire broke out on Main Street, a few prominent young men from the Borough of Ansonia decided it was time to organize and establish some form of fire protection for the rapidly growing borough.
On the night of August 24, 1871, twenty-five men gathered in the Opera House building and by the end of that evening, this City’s first fire company was formed.
That company, known today as the Eagle Hose & Hook & Ladder Company No. 6, will celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year.
The original intent was to call this organization the Ansonia Fire Company No. 1, however, that plan changed rather quickly.
A committee was formed to find suitable apparatus. The members located a hose wagon in Newark, N.J., and it bore the inscription ‘Eagle Hose Co. No. 6.’
The wagon was secured for a modest price and the membership decided it would be easier to rename the company than to remove the inscription, and thus Eagle Hose was born. This hose wagon is still in the Company’s possession today and is pulled by the membership in the Memorial Day Parade every year.
Eight years later, in June of 1879, the Company purchased a hook and ladder cart. Our name was then changed to the Eagle Hose & Hook & Ladder Co. No. 6, and that name has remained ever since.
Times sure have changed since then. Our first members initially used manpower and horses to pull the apparatus to calls and fought fires with buckets of water and little protective clothing. Today we travel in sophisticated vehicles capable that are equipped with the best tools available, and our members are outfitted with safest protective gear on the market.
A photo from the Eagle House archives.
Throughout these last 150 years there have been many changes, but one thing that has remained consistent from the very first day until the present, is the commitment of the membership to provide the best protection for the citizens of Ansonia.
Our volunteer members respond to hundreds of calls at all hours of the day every year. They also dedicate countless hours to study and training so that they are prepared for every fire, motor vehicle accident, haz-mat situation and any other emergency that may arise.
In addition, over the years we have tried to assist the community in other ways by supporting local youth sports programs, providing scholarships to students and supporting other fundraising events for local organizations. One of our primary goals is to be a good neighbor.
We are proud to be a part of this great City and hope to serve you with the same heart as our forefathers who met in the Opera House 150 years ago.
We are planning an Open House event for later this Summer and hope to have the opportunity to meet you there. More details will follow soon.
