The “James Tippet” – Tower’s 1891 Steam Fire Engine

After a series of dangerous fires and the ongoing threat to wooden structures in town with crowded lots and inadequate plumbing infrastructure, City of Tower officials decided in 1891 to purchase a modern fire engine built by the Ahrens Manufacturing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. The pumper was named “James Tippet” in honor of their first mayor, who had served the community since Tower incorporated as a city in 1889.  Tower is the oldest city north of Duluth.

The steam fire engine was delivered in 1892 and continuously served Tower and surrounding areas until the installation of the city water system in 1928. The Tippet carries a build number of 668, making it one of the last units built by Ahrens before the company joined several other manufacturers that would eventually become American LaFrance.

Steam Fire Engine “James Tippet” was coal or wood fired and operated at 50-90 psi steam pressure using a double cylinder vertical engine and pump design made of gun metal which was considered state of the art in its time. The steam engine driven pump could produce a constant flow of water at more than 600 gallons per minute with a throw of nearly 200 feet.

Tippet weighs around 8000 pounds and was pulled by a team of two horses which were hired on-call along with a teamster driver from a local livery stable. On arrival at the fire, the teamster would lead the horses away while the Engineer would tend the engine and pump and a Stoker would shovel coal into the furnace of the boiler.

A 30,000 gallon parged cistern under the fire hall section of the building at 504 Main Street supplied fire extinguishment water for town areas. The fire alarm was a bell in the bell tower mounted on the building roof and attached to a rope. To get the steam fire engine to the fire site, it had to be pulled by a team of horses. Several livery barns were located nearby and when there was a fire the first team of horses to arrive would be paid $5.00. The horse drawn steam fire engine would be followed by man-powered hose carts. The firemen’s success depended on how long the water in the cistern would last.

There is some evidence that the “James Tippet” may have traveled by rail car to Ely and Virginia to assist our neighbors with fires that devastated those communities in the early 1900s.

The steam fire engine continued to be used to fight fires until the Oliver Iron Mining Company built a water plant at the iron ore mine site in Soudan, pumped water from the lake and in 1928 extended the sewer and water system to Tower as a gift to the city.

Residents of Tower and the surrounding area have fond memories of the old Steam Fire Engine James Tippet.  After its retirement, it became the venerated main attraction in the Tower 4^th of July parade for many decades.  Currently in cold storage in a city garage, it will return back to its home and become the featured centerpiece when the 1895 Fire Hall is restored.

In its last appearance on July 4, 2007, it was pulled by a John Deere tractor. Folks lining the parade route cheered as the once-mighty engine once again rolled down Tower’s Main Street with signs proclaiming all to “Get Fired Up About History.”

The city and historical society have plans to restore the steam engine, one of only 300 extant worldwide, back to its original splendor, and as the main fire hall exhibit, it will tell its story of fire service in Tower as it was at the turn of the 20^th Century.