The Station

The fire station at Fair Park has served the City of Dallas with distinction for almost a century. In the first three-quarters of that century, from its erection in 1907 until May 2, 1975, it was an active firehouse. Since that time it has served as the Dallas Firefighters Museum. Its importance to the community is undeniable and its place within Dallas’ history has been well recognized. The firefighters stationed there have contributed to the safety and security of the surrounding districts during that lengthy period.

The Fair Park Station was built, in the words of then Fire Department Chief H.F. Magee, in 1906, on account of the rapid growth of the city in that location, as well as for the protection of city property. Chief Magee announced in 1907 that the city was going to build and equip a station at the corner of Kentucky and Parry Ave. This station was to have a combination chemical and hose wagon and a hook and ladder truck.

The Fair Park Fire Station measures 63 feet across and 80 feet deep. The foundation was made of concrete with the structure rising two stories. The walls are constructed of brick with the outer wall being a mottled gray face brick on the street sides. The rear and side walls were of a red brick. The brick were made in Elgin, Texas and all of the other materials for the station were made in the Dallas area or from Texas.

On the first floor are accommodations for the three pieces of apparatus, the feed rooms, the fuel rooms, a workroom with tools and workbench for the repair of the horse’s harnesses. There were also five horse stalls that measured 10 by 13 feet and had a floor of sand. In front of each apparatus was a high double door that opened outward. This allowed the firemen to be at their positions and emerge from the station at full speed.

The second floor consisted of the living spaces for the firemen. This consisted of a living room, a large bathroom, and a locker room that contained a three-compartmented locker for each man. The chief that was stationed there had an office on the second floor also. The roof over the one story feed rooms was to be used for the sunning of the bedding and clothing of the men and also used as a summer garden in the evening.

The station began operations in late 1907 as Station No. 10. Assigned to Station 10 was Hose # 3, Hook and Ladder # 3, and District Chief 3. Assigned to the new station were assistant Chief J.L. Marder, Captain A.W. Coffman, W.W. Lane, John Hamlin, C.T. Dixon, C.H. Newman, W.J. Kramer, O.B. Hurt, O.L. Patterson, W.W. Karnes, S.M. Delaney, and A.M. McNeil. Along with these men, there were five tried and true veterans of the department, the horses. Frank, a fine roan horse, pulled Chief Magee’s buggy while Dick and Jim pulled the Truck. Red and Prince who were transferred from the Ervay Street fire station pulled the engine.

This station had several notable firsts in its history. It had the first horse hospital for the Dallas Fire Department. In the days of true “horse power”, if your horse got sick, they brought him here and they gave you a loaner horse. In the meantime, the members of the Fair Park Station took care of the horse and made sure he was fit for duty. At that time, they would give the company their horse back and take the loaner horse back into the pool of horses. This was only one of two stations that ever had horse hospitals at them.

Within a short time of the station going in service, a group of neighbors came by bringing fruits, flowers, and good things to eat. The firemen were treated to a house warming party and the firemen vowed to keep open the station one evening a week for the visitation of the people of the Exposition Park section of town. The station became a social and meeting point for the community and the firemen became a valued neighbor to the community.

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