United Steam Fire Engine Company #3 History

On November 22, 1845, the citizens of Fire Ward No. 2 met to organize a hose fire company called the Mechanics Hose Company. Four days later the name was changed to United Hose Company and three days after that the first active members were admitted. The first President was Charles Mantz. In 1847, a committee was formed to erect a fire house on the current site on South Market Street. Members were dubbed "Swampers" by town folk because the fire station was situated on a marshy piece of land near Carroll Creek.

United Steam Fire Engine Company has a proud history with respect to its apparatus. The most famous was a steamer affectionately named "Lily of the Swamp." It was a formidable task for the Company to purchase the steamer. Without real estate upon which to borrow funds and the treasury being bankrupt, the committee appointed to purchase the steamer called upon the community for support. Funds were raised in less than one year. The amount collected was $3,209.50 and the actual cost of the steamer was $3,167.

The Old Lady

The “Old Lady” is a hand tub pumper owned by the United Fire Company from 1859 to approximately 1880. The pumper was built in Philadelphia, Pa. for the Mechanical Fire Company of Baltimore City in 1821. The pumper was rebuilt by the Rodgers Company of Baltimore in 1847. The Uniteds purchased the “Old Lady” from the Mechanical Fire Company in 1859 after the Mechanical Company received one of the first steam pumpers in Baltimore. Shortly after selling the “Old Lady”, the Mechanical Fire Company was absorbed into the Baltimore City Fire Department and became Engine 4. The “Old Lady” was also owned by the United Volunteer Fire Company of Libertytown from approximately 1880 to 1932. Until 2004, the “Old Lady” was in a museum of the Baltimore Equitable Society until the museum closed. The late Lydia Butterworth, past Secretary and Life Member of the Uniteds, deserves credit for making sure the “Old Lady” came home. The “Old Lady” is presently stored and hopefully will be on public display at the proposed Frederick County Fire Museum in Emmitsburg.

Lily Of The Swamp

The Clapp and Jones engine shown below, called the "Lily of the Swamp" was placed into service in 1878 with United Steam Fire Engine Company #3. The engine was given it's name from the company's nickname, "The Swampers" which itself came from their location along Carroll Creek. Due to the company’s proximity with Carroll Creek, flooding often occurred during heavy rains turning the area into a swamp and flooding the near by businesses and United’s Fire Station. It didn’t take long for United Steam Fire Engine Company to adopt the nickname “Swampers”, a nickname that still to this day is proudly displayed on the back of the current Rescue Squad.  During the severe drought of 1893, "Lily" pumped water into the depleted reservoir from a local spring continuously for nearly 17 days. The engine was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1932.