The Ashland Fire Department: a history

The Ashland Fire Department: A History traces fire protection from 1855 to the present day. The Early Years, 1855-1884, reviews the events and development that led to Ashland's incorporation as a town and the establishment of the first fire protection regulations. The Growing Years, 1885-1900, covers the railroad's arrival, the town's incorporation as a city, the founding of Ashland Hose Company No. 1, and the construction of City Hall, where fire department staff and equipment found permanent housing. The Motorized Era, 1901 to 1930, examines the two decades in which the city acquired mechanized vehicles, established the Ashland Fire Department, opened a fire hall on Fourth Street, and remodeled city hall to lodge the growing organization. Depression, War and Expansion, 1931-1960, covers the decade of the Great Depression when the City struggled for solvency; the World War II years and post-war development.. The Modern Era, 1961 to the present, traces additional post-war growth of Ashland, the construction of a new fire station on Ashland Street, unionization, and the developing role of the fire department.