The Fire Service of Bay City, Mich. Thirty-one years ago, in 1859, when Bay City, Mich., which now boasts a population of some 40,000 souls, was a village, the nucleus of its present fire department was formed by the organization of Peninsular Fire Company, which, raising money by subscription, bought a little hand-tub, the Try Us, and $150 worth of hose. It was not, however, until 1861 that a regular fire department was established, when a hand engine, the Tiger, and more hose were purchased, to which equipment there was added, a year later, a larger engine, the Red Rover. The first chief engineer of the department was H. M. Bradley, who, with Charles Merrill as first assistant, was appointed in July, 1861. In a sweeping fire which wiped out two blocks of buildings in July, 1862, the Red Rover was tumbled over an embankment and partly destroyed, but was…
