Portland Oregon Fire Hydrants, Source Material, Part 1
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© 2002-3 Allen McMillan
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Revised January 01, 2003
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Introduction
Portland's fire hydrants have not given up their secrets easily. The history
presented here has been pieced together out of hundreds of scraps of
information from many different sources. The primary source was the Portland
City Archives, which wants a very detailed set of identifiers attached to any
information from the Archives that is published. Since most of this page's
content is patched together out of Archives documents, the citation footnotes
threatened to displace all the content with their sheer volume. That's how the
citations ended up in their own pages.
The documents listed here actually represent nearly everything I extracted
from the Archives, not just a selection of the most important ones. I've also
summarized every document. If nothing else, this should provides a good cross
section of the sorts of things that can be found in the Archives.
Internet Sources
Except for Firehydrant.org, there are not too many resources available on the
Internet concerning 70+ year old fire hydrants. Still, some information from
the web did make it on to this page.
City of Portland, Bureau of Water Works history page:
http://www.water.ci.portland.or.us/history.htm.
Modern pipe and hydrant numbers, as well as the dates of operation for the
Bull Run conduits are from the Water Bureau web page.
Timeline, City of Portland Auditor's Office:
http://www.ci.portland.or.us/auditor/history/index.html.
(No specific data made it on to my site, but this link is included as a
reference.)
Portland Fire and Rescue history page:
http://www.fire.ci.portland.or.us/history.htm.
(No specific data made it on to my site, but this link is included as a
reference.)
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Water Bureau Subject Files, City Archives
Most of the information needed to assemble this web page was obtained from
the City of Portland Archives, located at the
SPARC in North Portland.
What follows is a summary of (mostly) significant documents found in the City
Archives. The bulk of what is currently known about Portland's early fire
hydrants can be found here.
The "section" numbers are purely my own means of keeping my notes organized.
They don't mean anything to the City Archives.
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- Section 1 -
City of Portland, Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center,
Water Bureau, Subject Files, A2001-021, 13/7
Hydrants, 1904-1910
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Undated - "Summary of Bids for Hydrants Received by the Water Board". Two
pages. Page one is a table showing three dated columns: January 3, 1910;
June 12, 1907; and March 14, 1905. The table rows show the bids received.
Page two is a similar table with different dates: February 17, 1905; July
21, 1904; and December 13, 1910. Bidders for these contracts included:
Ludlow, Phoenix, Florence Iron Works (Mathews/Woods), Caldwell Brothers
(Corey), Oregon Foundry, Willamette Iron & Steel ("Howe"), Glamorgan Pipe
& Foundry (type unspecified and bid later withdrawn), Eddy Valve, John
Honeyman (type unspecified), Columbia Eng. Works, and Smith & Watson (1904
and 1905). Willamette tried to sell Howes hydrants in 1904 and 1907. In
1907 Oregon Foundry demanded royalties be paid on any Howes hydrants sold
in Portland.
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February 18, 1904 - Letter from L.A. McNary, City Attorney, to Thos. C.
Devlin, City Auditor, concerning the right of the water board to furnish
fire hydrants.
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May 7, 1907 - Another letter from L.A. McNary, City Attorney, to Thos. C.
Devlin, City Auditor, concerning the right of the water board to furnish
fire hydrants. This one is shorter but substantially similar in both form
and content to the previous document.
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July 31, 1907 - Bill of sale (duplicate) on Oregon Foundry stationary for
"28 Howes Patent Hydrants @ $62.25 as per contract". This price is
substantially higher than the Water Board was paying for hydrants at the
time. The hydrants were signed for by the Fire Department's Hydrantman and
Chief Campbell. Although this document is in a Water Bureau file, it
appears that the purchase was undertaken by the Fire Department, and outside
of the normal contract process. This may be an example of the Fire
Department purchasing and installing hydrants on its own initiative after
1904.
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September 4, 1908 - Letter from the Superintendent of the Staten Island
Water Supply Company to D. D. Clarke, City Engineer, concerning "the merits
of the COREY HYDRANT". The Superintendent reported that his utility's 276
Corey's were "eminently satisfactory in all respects". He especially notes
their easy, low-cost maintenance.
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November 5, 1908 - Letter from David Campbell, Chief Engineer (Fire), to
Superintendent F. T. Dodge, Water Department. Campbell advises that "First
Street is being improved from Pine to Burnside with stone blocks on concrete
foundation" and recommends installing two fire hydrants.
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December 15, 1908 - Handwritten notes compiled by D. D. Clarke (date is the
date compiled). Reports on hydrants specifications, bids and testing.
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December 19, 1908 - Another page of handwritten notes compiled by D. D.
Clarke (date is the date compiled). The notes show bids solicited and
contracts awarded by the Water Board for fire hydrants. Some items on
this page contradict the 1913 list of contracts awarded, specifically:
"Feby 17 - 1905 - "Ad" for 100 hydrants to be opened Feby 24 - 1905.
Feby 25 - 1905 - Above awarded to Oregon Foundry Co. = 3850.00"
The 1913 list says that this contract was awarded to Phoenix Iron Works
(for $4135.00). In addition, this page shows a contract for 100 hydrants
(bids opened May 9, 1906) awarded to Oregon Foundry. This contract doesn't
even appear in the 1913 list.
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Undated - "Bids Received by the Water Board of Portland, Oregon, January 3,
1910, for Fire Hydrants." Bids are shown for two types of Ludlows, Mathews,
Corey, and two Phoenix designs called "Portland Fire Dept" and "Per Office
Specifications". The Coreys were selected... the first 200 Coreys in
Portland.
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May 9, 1910 - Letter from J.P.Kavanaugh, City Attorney, to A.L.Barbur, City
Auditor, concerning who should pay for installing and maintaining fire
hydrants.
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May 28, 1910 - Letter from Fire Department Chief Engineer David Campbell to
Water Department Chief Engineer D. D. Clarke requesting fire hydrants. In
addition to requesting six new hydrants on existing mains, Campbell asked
Clarke to "replace the old one-way Willamette hydrants at the following
locations; with new hydrants". The term "3 way" is used in other
documents (see September 4, 1918) to denote a hydrant with 3 nozzles total.
Could this mean that there used to be Willamettes with just one nozzle?
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Undated - "Bids for Hydrants Opened by Water Board December 13, 1910."
Summarizes seven different bids for hydrants including Ludlow, Mathews,
Corey and Eddy. Also included: "Portland Standard" by Phoenix Iron Works
(Out of spec because they don't have independent nozzle valves, see
below); an unnamed type by Glamorgan Pipe & Foundry Company (later
withdrawn); and an unnamed type produced by John Wood Iron Works Co.
in Portland. The 1913 audit indicates that the city went with 175 Ludlow
Slide Valves and 25 Oregon Foundry Howes hydrants.
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December 19, 1910 - "Maintenance of Genuine Ludlow Hydrants." Actually two
short documents on one page, both proclaiming the low maintenance costs of
Ludlow hydrants.
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December 19, 1910 - Letter from D. D. Clarke, Water Board Engineer, to
David Campbell, Chief Engineer (PFD), concerning hydrant bids taken
12/13/1910. The low bid (by Phoenix Iron Works) was out of spec. The next
lowest bid (Glamorgan Pipe & Foundry Co.) was in spec but the company wanted
to be withdrawn from consideration.
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December 19, 1910 - Response from Campbell to the letter above.
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- Section 2 -
City of Portland, Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center,
Water Bureau, Subject Files, A2001-021, 14/1
Hydrants, 1911
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Undated - "Bids for Fire Hydrants Opened by the Water Board June 13, 1911."
Shows proposals from Gilbert Hunt, Eddy Valve, Hoge & Swift (Ludlow), R. D.
Wood, and two by Phoenix Iron Works. The Phoenix "Name of Bidder" entry says
"Phoenix Iron Works, By J. E. Wolff, Portland, Ore.". Note connection to
Wolff & Zwicker.
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Undated - "Tabulated Bids On 500 Fire Hydrants, Opened by the Water Board
Sept. 12, 1911." In the bottom margin is written "Accompanying report of D.
D. Clarke. Sept 13/11." This looks like the first page of a longer document
since only three companies (Caldwell Machinery Co. (Coreys), R. D. Wood &
Co., and Hoge & Swift (Ludlows) are shown.
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Undated - "500 Fire Hydrants. Specifications furnished following named firms
for hydrants, bids for which were opened on September 12, 1911." Lists the
following firms:
- John Wood Iron Works Co.
- Hoge & Swift
- F. T. Crowe & Co.
- G. F. Kuentzel
- Durham, Carrigan & Hayden Co.
- Eddy Valve Co.
- Phoenix Iron Works
- Hesse Martin Iron Works
- Meese & Gottfried Co., 67 Front St
- Lupton-Ferrell Co. & Strowe . . . 322 Abington Bldg.
- Roe Stephens Mfg. Co.
- Mr. Minto, "Corey" hydrant
- A. G. Long, 16 & Marshall Sts
- Zimmerman-Wells-Brown Co.
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- Section 3 -
City of Portland, Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center,
Water Bureau, Subject Files, A2001-021, 14/2
Hydrants, 1912
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Undated - "Hydrants." A list of bidders and dates in the usual format. The
last entry is dated 03/28/12. Firms included in this list:
- Geo. F. Kuentzel
- The Gauld Co.
- Hoge & Swift
- Crane Company
- John. Wood Iron Works
- F. T. Crowe & Co.
- Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Co.
- Eddy Valve Co.
- Phoenix Iron Works
- Hesse-Martin Iron Works
- Roe Stephens Mfg. Co.
- Zimmerman-Wells Brown Co.
- Coffin Valve Company
- Portland Iron Works
- Hallidie Machinery Co. Seattle
- Jas. B. Clowe & Sons
- Independent Foundry Co.
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Undated - "Proposals for Fire Hydrants. Opened by the Water Board April 1st,
1912." Shows details of six of the bids above (Phoenix Iron Works,
Roe-Stephens, Eddy, Ludlow, R. D. Wood, and Corey hydrants) including
weights, prices, and delivery schedules. The Eddy hydrant bid notes
"Goverment [SIC] mixture to be substituted for Tobin bronze for stems."
[This document is duplicated in 14/3 Hydrants, 1912.]
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- Section 4 -
City of Portland, Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center,
Water Bureau, Subject Files, A2001-021, 14/3
Hydrants, 1912
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Undated - "Proposals for Fire Hydrants. Opened by the Water Board April 1st,
1912." Shows details of six bids (Phoenix Iron Works, Roe-Stephens, Eddy,
Ludlow, R. D. Wood, and Corey hydrants) including weights, prices, and
delivery schedules. The Eddy hydrant bid notes "Goverment [SIC] mixture to
be substituted for Tobin bronze for stems." [This document is duplicated in
14/2 Hydrants, 1912.]
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September 4, 1912 - Installation records for August 1912. There are some
July installations mixed in. All the hydrants installed were described as
"Phoenix" except for one "Corey". Many of the locations use old street names
(showing intersections of numbered streets and avenues).
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October 10, 1912 - "Proposals for Fire Hydrants. Opened by the Water Board
October 8, 1912." Shows details of six bids (John Wood Iron Works, Phoenix
Iron Works, Gilbert Hunt Co., Columbia Engineering Wks. (Ludlows), and two
different bids for Corey hydrants from Caldwell Machinery Co.) including
weights, prices, and delivery schedules.
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October 10, 1912 - Unsigned letter on Water Board letterhead to "Messrs J.
C. Ainsworth, W. B. Mackay, and D. D. Clarke, Engineer, Special Committee of
the Water Board, Portland, Oregon." The letter compares the prices of the
six bids in the previous document. It recommends that the lowest bid, that
of the John Wood Iron Works Company, be accepted. The letter is unsigned and
has two spaces for approval signatures, also blank. The list of hydrant
contracts awarded (1913 Audit) says that Oregon Foundry won this contract
and produced 200 "Spl. Design" hydrants. However, Oregon Foundry never
submitted a bid for this contract and their name never appears in any
documents related to this contract.
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October 15, 1912 - Letter from D. D. Clarke (Water Board Engineer) to Fire
Chief B. F. Dowell asking for details on the "threads at the bottom of the
column on the Portland hydrants Nos. 1 and 2 so that we may order the
threads on this new contract to be interchangeable [SIC] with the bowls of
the hydrants now in place". Clarke said the specs would "facilitate getting
out the first lot of hydrants under this contract". Which contract was he
referring to? The next hydrants purchased by the city (Jan 15, 1913) would
be Coreys, not frost jacket hydrants. The previous order (five days earlier
on Oct 10, 1912) were already purchased, though they were probably a frost
jacket variety. Did the Water Board install the threads at the bases
themselves? At least we can make a reasonable assumption that Portland Nos
1 and 2 hydrants had frost jackets.
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November 20, 1912 - Installation records for October 1912. Most were
"Phoenix", a few "Woods" (placed in November), two 4" Willamettes and a
Ludlow.
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- Section 5 -
City of Portland, Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center,
Water Bureau, Subject Files, A2001-021, 14/4
Hydrants, 1913
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Undated - "Specifications and Forms of Proposal Furnished the Following:
(Bids opened by the Water Board 1/2/13) Fire Hydrants." The list of bidders:
- Columbia Elevator Company
- National Iron & Foundry Company, E. 7th and Madison
- Peninsula Iron Works
- J. M. Leach Iron Works, 162 E. 3rd St.
- Caldwell Machinery Company
- Gauld Company
- Hoge & Swift (2 copies)
- Crane Company
- John Wood Iron Works
- F. T. Crowe & Co.
- Eddy Valve Co.
- Phoenix Iron Works
- Hesse-Martin Iron Works
- Roe Stephens Mfg. Co.
- Independent Foundry Co.
- Gilbert Hunt Co., Walla Walla
- Jas. B. Clowe & Sons, Chicago
- Tomlinson Company, 308 Glisan
- M. L. Kline
- D. L. Herman, 503 Maritime Bldg., Seattle
- Geo. C. Strowe
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January 6, 1913 - "Bids on 350 Fire Hydrants. Opened by the Water Board
January 2nd, 1913." Summarizes 10 of the bids (Helser & Unden, Columbia
Engineering Works (Ludlows), R. D. Wood & Co., Caldwell Machinery Co.
(Coreys), John Wood Iron Works, Eddy Valve Co., Columbia Elevator Company,
M. L. Kline (Roe-Stephens), and two bids from Phoenix Iron Works. The
Columbia Engineering Works bid seems to have come with a blank check instead
of the customary 10%.
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January 6, 1913 - Duplicate of a letter from D. D. Clarke, Water Board
Engineer, to "Messrs, F. W. Winn, J. C. Ainsworth and B. F. Dowell, Special
Committee of the Water Board, Portland, Oregon." summarizing bids received
for fire hydrants. Clarke lists 10 of the bids and their prices,
recommending that the low bidder, Helser & Unden, be awarded the contract.
He notes that "the proposed hydrant [is] similar in design to that
heretofore furnished the City by the Phoenix Iron Works."
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January 15, 1913 - "Summary of Contracts Awarded by the Water Board for Fire
Hydrants." Lists the bidder, hydrant type, date, quantity, weight, and cost
of all hydrants purchased by the Water Board since it started buying
hydrants in 1904. (Some inaccuracies have been noted, however.)
Everything except weight and cost are listed below:
Date |
Bidder |
Type |
Quantity |
07/21/1904 |
Oregon Foundry |
Howe |
100 |
02/17/1905 |
Phoenix Iron Works |
Fire Dept. |
100 |
03/14/1905 |
Phoenix Iron Works |
Fire Dept. |
100 |
06/12/1907 |
Ludlow Valve Mfg. Co. |
Balanced Valve |
200 |
01/03/1910 |
Caldwell Brothers |
Corey |
200 |
12/13/1910 |
Ludlow Valve Mfg. Co. |
Slide Valve |
175 |
Oregon Foundry |
Howe |
25 |
06/13/1911 |
Caldwell Brothers |
Corey |
190 |
Gilbert Hunt Co. |
Hunt |
10 |
09/12/1911 |
Caldwell Brothers |
Corey |
500 |
04/05/1912 |
Phoenix Iron Works |
Phoenix |
400 |
10/10/1912 |
Oregon Foundry |
Spl. Design |
200 |
01/15/1913 |
Caldwell Brothers |
Corey |
350 |
TOTAL |
2,550 |
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January 15, 1913 - Handwritten list of hydrant types and quantities in use
at the end of 1912. Compiled from a 1911 Fire Department Report and a 1912
Water Department Report. This is the rough draft for the document below.
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January 15, 1913 - "Hydrants in Use at End of Year 1912." Lists hydrant
types and quantities. Compiled by D. D. Clarke. This is the complete
list, though it has been reformatted to list by order of frequency.
Hydrant Type |
Quantity |
Corey |
1,602 |
Phoenix |
885 |
Waterous |
274 |
Portland #2 |
263 |
Portland #1 |
204 |
Ludlow #2 |
197 |
Ludlow #1 |
191 |
R.D.Wood |
191 |
Willamette |
119 |
Ludlow #3 |
95 |
Woods |
55 |
A.G.Long |
1 |
Salem |
1 |
TOTAL |
3,905 |
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March 4, 1913 - Installation records for February 1913. There were 25
"Woods" installed and one Corey moved across the street from it's original
location and reinstalled.
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April 2, 1913 - Memo from the Fire Department that was accompanied by
blueprints (not present) showing existing and proposed mains and hydrants.
There seemed to be some disagreement over the number of hydrants that
were really needed, and which were unnecessary expenditures.
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April 10, 1913 - Letter from B. F. Dowell, Fire Department Chief Engineer,
to D. D. Clarke, Water Department Engineer. "Please replace the old
Willamette hydrant at East 12th and Belmont Sts. with a modern hydrant."
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May 6, 1913 - Installation records for April 1913. Only 16 hydrants were set
on public mains, all of them Helser & Unden. Six Phoenix were set for a
private contract.
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July 3, 1913 - Installation records for June 1913. All hydrants installed
were "Helser & Unden" except for one 4" Willamette.
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November 10, 1913 - Installation records for October 1913. All of them are
"Helser & Unden".
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Undated - "Prospective Bidders. Hydrants." All the dates on the list are
1914, so this document appears to be mis-filed. The bidders were:
- Smith & Watson Iron Works
- Crane Comnay [SIC]
- Washington Pipe & Fdry. Co.
- J. W. Blair
- John Wood Iron Works
- Coffin Valve Company
- Roe Stephens Mfg. Co.
- M. L. Kline
- Chas. C. Moore & Company
- F. T. Crowe & Company
- Phoenix Iron Works
- Hesse-Martin Iron Works
- Independent Foundry Co.
- Gilbert Hunt Co., Walla Walla
- Power Equipment Company, Brd. Of Trade
- American Fdry. Company, St. Louis
- Eddy Valve Co.
- Chapman Valve Mfg. Co. (A. J. Warren, San Francisco)
- U. S. Commerce Company (Board of Trade)
- Columbia Iron Works, Chattanooga, Tenn
- D. C. & H. Co., San Francisco
- Darling Pump Mfg. Co. (H. M. Williams, 304 By [?] Ex.)
- Rensselaer Valve Mfg. Company (512 Colman Bldg.) Seattle
- Portland Equipment Company
- Oregon Brass Co.
- H. A. Heppner & Company (for Columbia Iron Works)
Note that the "n" has been dropped from the end of Columbian Iron Works'
name. This continues in numerous other documents.
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Source Material, Part 1
Source Material, Part 2
Source Material, Part 3
Portland Oregon Fire Hydrants
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