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Houston Fire Department Fire Station 26 7111 Dixie @ Chaffin Houston, TX 77087
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Station 26 HistoryFIRE Company No. 26 began in a building designed as a city hall and community center building. It is probably the only Houston fire station housed in a building not used, at least in part, as a fire station. The building, built in 1926, served the town of Park Place, and was annexed into the city in 1930.The building was located at 3815 Broadway at Park Place Blvd. in Fire District No. 6.After the annexation, the fire department was pressed to modify the building for a fire station. Fire Station 26 opened in August, 1930. Two chauffeurs were promoted to captain for the new fire station. They were Frank Thomas and Rufus John Templet. Assigned withThomas were Raymond Henry Cavanough, chauffeur, and John Little and C. G. Timmons, both pipemen. Under Templet was Chauffeur C. P. Capps, and the pipemen were Claude W. Hall and John W. Wilson. A 750 gpm Seagrave pumper was assigned to the station (right). The right-hand-drive pumper was chain-driven with two-wheel mechanical brakes. It was state of the art at the time.Pictured are some of the firefighters at Fire Station 26 (circa 1945) standing in front of the Seagrave pumper. Left to right are: Joseph Boone Martin, Jr.; Captain Mike Raymond Lathrop; Eugene A. Cook; and S. R. "Bob" Jacobs. (Eugene Cook has been identified as Wilson Snow by another source.)
(Captain Lathrop was the last firefighter to drive horses at Fire Station 4.)Pipe-Ladderman James Edward Lowth was killed instantly on March 31, 1947, in a collision enroute to a fire at Eastern States Refinery. Engine 26 collided with a Southern Pacific Railroad train on Broadway at Bowie Street. Lowth had returned to the fire department in 1946 after a 41-month stint in the U.S. Navy during World W II.By this time, the old fire station had deteriorated badly. The roof leaked like a sieve when it rained. Firefighters had to turn their bedding on end to prevent a soaked mattress. Termites had overrun the building. One gripe voiced by a firefighter in a newspaper article was the lack of facilities to wash dishes. Yet, an old-timer who was at the station said there was a sink in the kitchen.New StationIt was a welcome relief when a new Station 26 was built at 7111 Dixie Drive and Chaffin. The new station opened in 1953.
A ladder truck company was added with Engine 26 at the new station. It was an old Mack city service truck from reserve. The station was made a headquarter house for District 9, and the chiefs at Station 33 moved in. A booster truck also was assigned. Cecil F. Strange and W. C. Dudensing were the senior captains. John S. Little and Milton M. Henry were the early district chiefs.In 1957, the Mack city service truck at Station 22 replaced the old reserve ladder truck that was used at Station 26 since it opened. A new Ward LaFrance city service truck replaced the Mack service truck in 1960.In 1964, Station 35 closed, and the apparatus moved in with Station 26. The booster was moved to Station 52. Station 35 was being torn down to make way for a new freeway.A 1950 1000 gpm Mack pumper from Station 33 replaced Engine 26 in 1966.The district chiefs moved out in 1967 and moved to the new headquarter house of Station 35 to provide better coverage. The same year, Engine 26 got a new 1000 gpm Ward LaFrance pumper.A 1957 65-foot Mack aerial ladder used by Station 22 was moved to replace the ladder truck at Station 26 in 1970. The old Ward LaFrance city service truck went to Station 55.Exactly when district chiefs returned to Station 26 is unknown, but today, Engine 26, Ladder 26, and District 26 chief runs out of the fire station.
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