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Thursday, June 14, 2012
Neptune Returns Home, Charlotte Reacquires Historical Fire Apparatus
Charlotte
NC – The City of Charlotte recently reacquired a cherished piece of history. In
1866 Charlotte bought a Jeffers Hand Pump Fire Engine. The “Hornets” first put
the apparatus into service originally as an all white-volunteer fire company.
The hand pumper was later passed on to an all African-American volunteer fire company
called the “Neptunes.” Colonel Charles S.L.A. Taylor, a hero of the
Spanish-American War, and uncle to the late Senator Jim Richardson, led the
Neptunes.
The hand pumper affectionately named Neptune #2 was
sold in 1901 and wound up in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The circumstances surrounding the sale of the
apparatus was described by sources as the “tearful protests of the volunteer
firemen of Charlotte who pleaded for its preservation as a relic.” In 1906 the
Neptune #2 was sold to the Westfield Veterans Association and used in the north
solely for tournament purposes. This was
an extremely powerful hand pumper that won numerous competitions.
After much research, members of the Charlotte Fire
Department (CFD) located the Neptune #2 in Newberry, Massachusetts where it had
been displayed in the American Hand Engine Society Museum since the 1990’s.
Graciously, the American Hand Fire Engine Society agreed to sell the apparatus
back to its original owners, the City of Charlotte solely based on the
historical significance. Although no
true monetary value can be placed on such a rich piece of Charlotte history, after
negotiation the fire department paid $50,000.00 for the Neptune #2. After more
than a century the Neptune #2 returned home and the Charlotte Fire Department
reacquired its original hand pump engine.
It would be difficult to say just how many native
Charlotteans both black and white could be traced back to a relative that actually
laid hands on this engine, however we suspect that there are a few. CFD intends
to preserve the "Neptune" and use it aggressively as an educational and recruitment tool.
A video capturing the engine in action can be found
at this link: http://alturl.com/uh95s
Jon B. Hannan | Fire Chief
Charlotte Fire Department
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