Firefighters share several stories about how the Water Witch Fire Company of Port Deposit got its name, so a company officer asked Cecil County History to investigate the matter. Supposedly the town purchased an engine that had the name Water Witch already on it so the organization decided to change the name of the company rather than replace the gold lettering already on the steamer.
Here’s what we uncovered:
In the spring of 1873, the town of Port Deposit decided that the municipality’s old hand pumpers had become obsolete, so they proceeded to Wilmington, Del., to purchase one whose “motor was newer.” A deal was made with Wilmington’s Water Witch Fire Company to acquire its used steam engine.
Steam Fire Engine Arrives
Papers frequently referred to this pumper as the “Water Witch.” For example, in April 1874, the Democrat reported on a blaze, noting that soon the “Water Witch” was manned, and down the street, it came, the fire being kindled as it went. The fire was quickly controlled as George Wilson and William Johnson manned the nozzles.
In early May 1873, when the Delaware fire engine arrived in town, a large crowd greeted its arrival at the depot, the Cecil Democrat reported. Once it was unloaded, it was taken down the street rapidly until it reached the park in front of Jacob Tome’s residence. There the boiler was filled with water, and it was ready for action in less than five minutes. The engine cost $1,300. The Democrat added that members of the Delaware fire company visited Port Deposit to give lessons in using the new apparatus.
“Some of the city firemen would, I think, be thrown the shade if they were to see our Port boys handle fire with the aid of the Water Witch. She does her work nobly,” the Democrat concluded on April 24, 1875.
Second Steam Engine for Port Deposit
The association with the Wilmington firefighters continued into another decade. One April morning in 1884, a fire broke out in the center of town and the flames were spreading rapidly to other structures. The Cecil Whig wrote that “Port Deposit has but one fire engine but fortunately, the ‘Water Witch engine of Wilmington’ was there for a trail. Both engines were put to work, extinguishing the blaze.
On April 19, 1884, the Cecil Whig reported that the Town of Port Deposit had acquired the second steam engine from the Water Witch Company of Wilmington for $2,250 and now has two of those machines.” By the time the current organization was established in Port Deposit, newspapers frequently referred to the “Water Witch.”
Additional Photos
Additional Port Deposit Fire Company Photos
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