Mattapoisett Fire Department collects ‘family’ history

Georgia Sparling
Jan 3, 2013
The fire truck above was purchased in 1954. “They look like toys compared to the new ones,” said Dubois. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
Through the evolution of the Fire Department and fire safety, beards and thick mustaches have been prohibited. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
Lt. Dubois is still trying to dig up facts about the department's history, including the name of the Fire Chief in this picture. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
Throughout its history, Dubois said the Fire Department has gotten faster and safer. In the past, Dubois said firefighters sometimes showed up to fires in whatever they were already wearing, rather than uniforms. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
A photo of the department’s first rescue boat. Date unknown. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
The town’s first fire “truck” was a horse drawn water tank purchased around the turn of the century. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
This photo from 2008 compares an old fire truck with a much bigger new one. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
After selling one of the fire trucks to the town of Shrewsbury, the department received this photo back of it in a parade. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
This photo of a fire was taken in 1944. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Fire Department has many photos from fires past and present, including this one of the Harbor Beach Club fire. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT
Circa 1964, this photo shows a house fire in Mattapoisett Village. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT FIRE DEPARTMENT

Bright shiny fire trucks weren’t always the first thing that pulled up to a burning blaze in Mattapoisett.

The first “truck,” said Lt. Justin Dubois, was a water tank pulled by a horse.

Dubois, a firefighter since 2001, is the unofficial historian of the department and has been gathering information for years with help from Fire Chief Andrew Murray and other firefighters.

“Guys have always been collecting stuff, but it’s always been in random locations,” said Dubois. “Over a year’s time we lose so much stuff. It was beneficial for us to get everything put together.”

A Mattapoisett native, Dubois said, “I’ve always enjoyed local history.”

Through research, photos, and speaking with retired fire chiefs and firefighters, Dubois has amassed a considerable amount of information on the 155 years of the Department’s past.

“I used to look through town reports from the 1800s at the library. We even have a newspaper article from 1855,” said Dubois.

The Department is always on the lookout for more photos and information.

“People just kind of come out of the woodwork and bring us stuff,” he said. “We take it as a treasure. Half of the ones we haven’t seen before.”

Dubois said keeping a history of the department is important for current and new firefighters.

“If it wasn’t for the pictures, we wouldn’t understand how our department has evolved,” said the lieutenant. “The only way you can show people what we’ve done is the documentation of it.”

Dubois has already written up a short history of the Department, but he would like to publish a book with more information and photos.

The lieutenant also started a Facebook page for the Fire Department where old and new photos are posted.

Dubois said the number of historical artifacts the Fire Department has can be attributed to tradition and a familial relationship amongst the group.

“We’re basically a family here. We might fight like brothers and sisters, but for the most part we’re a tight knit family,” he said.

“People at home keep their photo albums and we keep ours.”

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