A written history of Engine 75
In 1874 New York City limits were extended by accession of areas north and west of the city. The annexed areas from Westchester County were the Villages of Mott Haven, Port Morris, Hunts Point, Highbridgeville, West Farms, Tremont, Fordham, Woodlawn Heights , Kingsbridge and Spuyten Duyvel. The year 1895 saw the expansion of the City and County of New York to the east of the Bronx River , with the annexation of the Villages of Wakefield, Unionport, Westchester , Williams and City Island . The Borough of The Bronx came into existence January 1, 1898 through the formation of the Greater City and the creation of the five Boroughs. The Borough was named after the Bronx River , which received its name from Swedish born settler named Jonas Bronck. The Jerome Park Racetrack opened in 1867 by Leonard W. Jerome. There he began the Belmont Stakes, which ran there until the park closed in 1890. To attract wealthy New Yorkers to the horse track, he built what is today Jerome Avenue . During the 1890's the area surrounding Jerome Avenue and 183 rd Street was mainly farmland. In 1894 New York University came to the neighborhood on land that was once during the Revolutionary War, British Fort Number 8, and later the sites of The Gustav and Mali mansions. With the University's large campus and dorms, the need for fire protection in the area became a driving force behind the formation of a fire company on Jerome Avenue . The city purchased a lot 50 by 100 feet at Jerome Avenue and 183 rd Street from Robert C. Wood for a cost of $6,000.00 on April 13, 1900 . A new two bay, two-story firehouse was built, with stables for eight horses. Engine Company 75 was organized on December 25, 1901 at 2283 Jerome Avenue , as a combination engine company. Chief of Department Edward F. Croaker reported that Engine Company 75 would have been organized earlier that year, but a problem with the contractor delayed its opening. It was also noted that the Company was furnished with furniture and bedding “temporarily” loaned by other companies. Combination Engine Company 75 consisted of three units, a 1901 fourth size American steamer fire engine, a 1901 Sebastian 2 nd size hose wagon, and a used 1885 Fire Extinguisher Manufacturing Company city service ladder truck. The steamer horses names were Firestone, Allen and Salem . The hose wagon was drawn by, Yankee and Conspirator. Convent Craftsman, and Redfern were assigned to the ladder truck. Chief of Department Croker insisted that the horses assigned to each company be well matched in size, coloring, and markings. Engine 75's eight horses were matched pintos, an unusual coloring for fire horses. These beautiful animals were the particular pride of the Company. The firehouse was manned by 11 men working 24 hours a day with 1 day off per week. A fireman could go home for meals for one hour at a time, three times a day. The pay received by first grade fireman in the early 1900's was about $1,200 per year. The first firefighters assigned to Engine Company 75 were, Captain Isaac Fisher, Foreman Henry Kraetzer and Patrick Ginty, Steam Engineers Joseph Hauck and Charles McDermott, and firefighter George Grabe, Thomas Derry, Joesph Nimthius, Joseph Coyle, Patrick Halpin, John Power, Henry Holliman, Eugene Silverman, William Doth, Theodore Beimbach and John Burke. On May 15, 1907 , Combination Engine Company 75 had responded to 184 alarms. In 1917 Engine Company 75's 1901 American Steamer received a new Van Bleck tractor, ending the horse drawn era for Engine Company 75. The official end to the horse drawn era in the New York City Fire Department came on December 20, 1922 with engine 205 in Brooklyn .
In 1908 the Jerome Avenue elevated train opened bringing ease of transportation from the Bronx to Manhattan . In 1914 the borough's main thoroughfare The Grand Concourse is completed. It was inspired by Paris 's great boulevard, The Champs Elysees. Also in 1914 the Kingsbridge Armory was completed and was known as the largest structure of that type in the world. By the 1920's Fordham Road and The grand Concourse intersection was a great commercial area of tree lined avenues, with luxury apartment buildings designed in the latest decors and styles. The Grand Concourse became a symbol of social economic success, with its 5 to 6 story apartment buildings, with their wide entrances and courtyards, bordered by grass and shrubs. In 1930 most of The Bronx inhabitants were Jewish, who commuted to work by train or subway to Manhattan . The Lowe's Paradise Theater Built in 1929 with its 4,000 seats and dark blue painted ceiling to resemble a nighttime sky, and small bulbs to resemble stars. The area of The Bronx known as University Heights began to grow dramatically and become densely populated. Between 1900 and 1930 the number of Bronx residents grew from 201,000 to 1,265,000. January 30, 1930 , brought yet another unity to the quarters of Engine Company 75 and Ladder Company 33. The 19 th Battalion was reorganized there, after being disbanded in 1908. The opening of The Grand Concourse subway in 1933 brought another mode of Manhattan to Bronx transportation. Alexander's Department Store at Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse opened for business in 1938, and became one of the most profitable department stores in the nation.
In 1955 the Major Deegan Expressway opens giving quick access to the upstate suburbs. As many of the University Heights residents moved out to the newly opened Co-Op City and upstate suburbs during the 1970's, many of these buildings became vacant. Once vacant, the arson epidemic of The South Bronx moved north to University Heights and Fordham areas of the borough. Engine 75 quickly became one of the cities busiest engine companies in the late 1970's and 1980's. Engine 75, responded to an average of 1,500 runs a year in the early 1960's, to over 7,500 runs by 1978. For more than 25 years, Engine 75 has been ranked as one of the cities busiest engine companies. Throughout Engine Company 75's history, there have been awarded twenty-seven Unit citations, for outstanding performance on the fireground. In August 2000, a new firehouse was completed for Engine 75, Ladder 33 and the 19 th Battalion at 2175 Walton Avenue . For the first time in almost 100 years, Engine Company 75 would now be responding from a new firehouse. Rest assure the pride and traditions that were passed down from the generations of firefighters who worked on Jerome Avenue are now carried on from Walton Avenue . For the past 100 years Engine Company 75 has proudly served The Bronx neighborhood of University Heights , providing fire protection, public service and emergency medical care. Engine Company 75 now stands ready to provide this same dedicated service for the next 100 years.
Sources used to compile this History of Engine 75 were, Bronx History.com, The Mand Library, WNYF and F.D.N.Y. 1900-1975 by Gus Johnson. Thank You to retired Manhattan Dispatcher 124 Herb Eyesser for his wealth of historical information related to the FDNY.