History of the Fire Companies of Frederick County, Maryland (Paperback)

Follow the colorful history of the fire companies in western Maryland from the first fire engine in 1764 to the most recent companies founded in the 1970s.

Organized fire protection in Frederick County, Maryland existed before the adoption of the Constitution. Fire company militia units were summoned to Harpers Ferry at the time of John Brown's raid and fire halls were used during the Civil War. Learn how the fire companies in Frederick County influenced the organization of the Maryland State Firemen's Association in 1893. Read of the tradition of fire engines "throwing water over the town clock", sometimes to test performance, other times just for bragging rights.

Local author and volunteer firefighter Chip Jewell provides a snapshot of how each fire company was organized from the colonial era to the present day.