The City known today as Presque Isle was founded in 1828 and was known as Fairbanks Mills. However, despite being a growing village, the community was not proactive about fighting fires, despite most buildings at the time being constructed of wood, until some 50 years later. It wasn’t until 1875 that the first action was taken. The town voted to appropriate $500 toward the purchase of a fire hose to be attached to a pump located at the mill by the dam on the Presque Isle Stream. A “company” was then organized for the purpose of working the pump and managing the hose in case of fire.
In 1881, Daniel Stickney, the editor of the North Star newspaper, attempted to warn residents that the village was still in danger from fire. In his opinion, the pump and hose were not being maintained. In addition, the town was increasing in size as well in height as buildings added second and third floors. The hose was only 500 feet in length and the pump did not carry sufficient force to reach the new building heights.
The town suffered a major fire in 1883. As a result, the town voted to raise funds with which to purchase a fire engine. Later that year, the Presque Isle Fire Association was formed. The association was not a part of town government and was created to care for the fire engine.
On May 1, 1884, the “Big Fire” destroyed most of both sides of Main Street. By now, the town realized buckets of water were not sufficient to fight fires and decided to pursue a program of fire prevention and containment.
In January 1885, the new fire engine arrived. It was a Remington Horse Powered Fire Engine with three Howe patented double-acting piston pumps, allowing combined action to produce an even flow of water and continuous pressure. The fire engine could be braced on each side with spikes into the ground when being used to fight a fire.
This type of engine was chosen primarily for its cost savings over that of a steam fire engine. Residents voted in April of that year to make the Fire Association a part of the town. With that, the Presque Isle Fire Department was officially incorporated in March, 1886.
In 1887, a contractor from New York by the name of Mantle was hired to construct a reservoir. It was located at a log dam one mile southeast from the center of town (at what is now the east end of Pine Street) with an elevation of 80 feet to provide pressure for fire hydrants along Main Street, which sat lower in elevation. A man-made lake was dug and filled with water from the Kennedy Brook. A system of pipes led from the lake (later named Mantle Lake after the contractor) to Main Street with branches off the main pipes to provide running water to a few homes and a primitive sewer system.
Construction began in the summer of 1887. Amasa Howe, a well-known area grocer, was the first to receive water from Mantle Lake in his home, then located on Second Street. Water was so pure at that time that no chemical treatment was required. The Presque Isle Village Fire Department then paid the newly formed Presque Isle Water Company $300 for the use of 10 fire hydrants for a six-month period.
Unfortunately, even these actions did not stop major fires from happening in town. The year 1900 brought even more devastating fires. The Presque Isle House Hotel, located on the site of what is now the Northeastland Hotel, was destroyed in January; and in March, the Perry Opera House on the corner of State and Main was also lost to fire.
Kimberly R. Smith is the secretary/treasurer of the Presque Isle Historical Society.
