Nashville Volunteer Fire Department/1899 Fire Bell

Orno Strong, the editor and publisher of the Nashville News, called for better fire prevention in Nashville by highlighting fire incidents and near disasters caused by outdated firefighting methods, such as the bucket brigade. After a close-call fire in March 1882, the village council approved the purchase of a dedicated fire engine in April and “accepted the services” of a group of volunteers that officially organized as the Nashville Volunteer Fire Department on May 5, 1882. 1899 Fire Bell On December 6, 1898, a fire broke out at Burd’s music store in Nashville. As it grew, “someone ran to the Methodist church to ring the bell” used as an alarm. It got stuck upside down, leaving word of mouth to alert the town. The fire destroyed a store and a barbershop, and several other buildings were damaged before firefighters and others put out the fire. This bell was commissioned to modernize the town’s alarm system. It topped a steel tower on Maple Street. Clappers ensured it could not become stuck. It became a memorial for Nashville’s firefighters in 1954.