Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Bell of 1889

Volunteer fire fighters, organized soon after Sulphur Springs was incorporated (1870), used a "bucket brigade" and hand-drawn equipment to control blazes before the city purchased a steam fire engine in 1888. To summon firemen, this 500-pound brass bell was bought in 1889 and hung in the tower of the engine house. It was replaced in the 1930s by a siren which spread the alarm over a wider area of the growing town. Professional firemen joined the force in the 1940s, but volunteers still help battle major fires.

Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Bell of 1889 is a historical marker in Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, dedicated in 1975. It is one of 34 historical markers documented in Hopkins County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 44 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.1438, -95.6007 near Sulphur Springs. The nearest cataloged historic site is Hopkins County Echo-Daily News-Telegram (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Atkins House, First United Methodist Church of Sulphur Springs, and Sulphur Springs Loan and Building Association.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5223007333. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.