Perhaps it was built before
it was needed but would be needed in the fullness of time as the anticipated growth
of the City of Hamilton progressed steadily in an eastward direction :
“A year ago, the brick
building, commonly known as the Victoria Avenue reel house, was relegated to
dust and cobwebs. Except when an election was on, it was unoccupied. It
invariably looked like what it was – deserted. The growing exigencies of the
city, however, made it expedient to use the station for which it was
constructed.”1
1“A
Handsome Station : House Warming at the Victoria Avenue Reel House Last
Evening.”
Hamilton Spectator. October 02, 1885.
The firemen and equipment to
be located at the Victoria Avenue station moved into the building in the spring
of 1885. However the firemen desired to make their work and living quarters
much less utilitarian than what greeted them, and they went to work :
“Simultaneously, the dust
and cobwebs vanished. Light streamed through the doors and windows. The domain
of dirt and desolation yielded to the
seductive influences of brooms and soap and water. The boys were not content
with this though, great as the improvement was. Neither were the residents of
that section of the city. A number of the more generous of them sent and gave
money to the boys for decorating the station. When sufficient had been
accumulated, a handsome carpet was bought and laid on the upstairs floor, the
walls and ceilings were artistically papered, neat black walnut bedsteads were
put in, and the windows draped by elegant cretonne curtains. Bedroom and
sitting room were transferred into marvels of beauty. Someone with artistic
tastes superintended these matters, and turned the station into what a
gentleman termed last night the handsomest one he had ever seen a paid
department occupy.”1
To mark the completion of
the work, the firemen organized an evening event at which the station could be
displayed:
“The staff at this station
consists of A. James, foreman, and Thos. Canary, Alf. Rouse, Thomas Capes and
J. Thomas, and last evening they celebrated the completion of the furnishing by
a little housewarming, at which a number of gentlemen spent a strictly
temperate but exceedingly jovial time until nearly midnight. His worship the
mayor filled the chair, and Mr. James Fairgrieve the vice chair. Aldermen MacKay
and Kavanagh, Mr. John Hoodless and a number of gentleman residing in the east
end, and representatives of the press, were present, and with song and
sentiment managed to make the evening pass pleasantly and agreeably. The boys
provided an excellent spread for their visitors in the sitting, and after this
had been attacked and vanquished, an equally successful assault was made on the
toast list. Everybody was toasted and everybody responded, and the only thing
to be regretted in connection with the whole affair was that the chief was not
there to participate in the evening’s festivities. Listeners, it is said, never
hear any good of themselves, but if he had been present last evening, he would
have heard many a compliment paid him both personally and professionally.” 1
One of Chief Alex. Aitchison’s
many inventions to make the task of getting to fires as fast as possible was
called the Quick Hitch. The horses, wagons and men could be readied in seconds,
while at the same time, the big doors of the station would be rolled up to let
them get going:
“The boys hitched up several times. One itch
was times, and they did it 3 ¾ seconds.” 1
By October 1885, the station
was in perfect shape, and at the housewarming, the firemen expressed publicly thanks
to the gentlemen who rendered them such material assistance in making it so
handsome.
