Animal Services recognizes community donors who’ve helped expand low-cost spay and neutering program
Watch: Placer County offers update on the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan
Leap into 🐶 Love: $29 Leap Day pet adoption special runs through March
Watch: Placer County Deputy CEO details strategic priorities in North Lake Tahoe
Placer County announces upcoming parking and mobility hub meetings in Kings Beach
On March 1, 1888, Auburn Firehouse #1 received a new rattler hose cart to help their volunteer firemen fight fires. The cart, although it could be drawn by horse, was typically drawn by men. It came with a brass coupling that could split the flow of water into two separate streams.
Auburn was no stranger to fires, and several have scorched the small city. Two of the worst, which centered in what is now Old Town Auburn, occurred in 1855 and in 1905. The tools and methods to fight fires have evolved over time. Makeshift bucket brigades where a bucket of water drawn from a well was handed from person to person, the last tossing the contents onto the flames, were mostly ineffective. Later in the 19th century, organized volunteer fire departments, fire hydrants and hose carts greatly improved a city’s ability to fight fires.
The new rattler hose cart was described in the March 3, 1888, Placer Herald as:
“…a beauty. It has as many pretty fixtures as a lady’s toilet service. The wheels are 6 feet high, of a rich cream color, and striped. All the mountings are nickel-plated. The bell, by a special attachment, will ring twice with every revolution of the wheels. The hose reel can be turned by a crank, which is an improvement over the old carts.”
The article went on to describe the toolbox attachment and a space for an ax and a crowbar. The hose itself had a special connector to attach to a ladder.
Auburn Firehouse #1 was built in 1888 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is on the corner of El Dorado Street and Lincoln Way.
Photo: Auburn Hose Company #1 at Firehouse #1 with the rattler hose cart, c. 1890
Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in...
Roseville: City of Roseville Career Fair, Movie Club @ Downtown Library Lincoln: Fowler Ranch Certified Farmers’ Market Auburn: Auburn Winds: Steppin’ Out For Spring North Lake Tahoe: Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series – Dave Nettle
...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events.
Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County!
Placer County Visitors' Bureau North Tahoe Community Alliance Tahoe City Downtown Association The Arts Council of Placer County Placer Valley Tourism PlacerGROWN Placer Wine Trail
Find current state COVID-19 guidance, along with local data and resources, here.
Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply
Current recruitments include:
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