In early
1869 a group
of young men
of the
village
determined
to form a
new fire
company. At
that time
Middletown's
reservoir
had been
opened and
running
water was
available
for fighting
fires.
The small
group
proposed a
new kind of
fire
company, a
hose
company.
Rather than
man an
engine, they
would pull a
hose
carriage to
fires,
connect the
hose to a
water source
and fight
the fire.
For a name
they
suggested "Monhagen",
the name of
the
reservoir.
The new
organization
received the
approval of
the village
and on
February 5,
1869 the
Monhagen
Hose
Company, No.
1 was
formed..
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