Why were Firemen Irish and the Irish Firemen, even in Stockton, California? Well, the journey starts in Ireland. By the beginning of the 1800s, political and religious divisions had grown to intolerable conditions. A complex and difficult discussion, for the sake of this post we can surmise that the Catholics of Ireland were at great odds with both the Protestants and the English. An overpopulation from the Nepoleanic wars completed a mixture of the harshest conditions, and forced many Irish Catholic to endeavor immigration. With few options, immigrants journeyed to one of the only lands of acceptance and promise: America. By the 1820s, the Irish made up more than one third of immigrants entering America, and would continue to do so for the next 40 years. In 1845, these numbers swelled when Ireland suffered from the great potato rot. Arriving on the north east coast, many immigrants settled primarily in immediate port cities like New York and Boston. Irish men took the toughest jobs for the least amount of pay. Their numbers increasing, the solidarity of the immigrated Irish vote became a tool for the politicians of the day. In New York, The Society of St. Tammany (eventually Tammany Hall, or commonly just Tammany), was founded in 1789 and was fairly benign in its infancy. After the turn of the century, Tammany had become increasing political and began accepting immigrants by the mid eighteen-teens. As Tammany began to hone it’s skills in corrupt political practices, it used the newly immigrated Irish as its political base and populous muscle. Appointing Irish Leadership to government heads (like Police Chief and Fire Chief) and giving Irish Immigrants public service jobs (like appointing Policemen and enlisting Firemen into Fire Companies) helped to secure the growing Irish vote. Tammany had perfected this exchange in patronage for political support by mid-century, even before the arrival of Tammany’s new figurehead: Boss William Tweed. Irish immigrants that were promised prosperity and hope had landed in some of the worst slums of the largest east coast cities. They worked the hardest and demanding jobs, if they could find work at all. In 1849, a discovery on the other side of the United States would force many to extend their journey. At Sutter’s Mill north of Sacramento, a co-owner of the mill named James Marshall pulled flakes of gold from the South Fork of the American River. Gold fever spread to the East Coast, and the promise of pulling riches from the earth motivated hundreds of thousands to make the journey. Many of the same Irish who had fled persecution and potato famine, continued their migration with others West in the California Gold Rush. Travelers headed by wagon through wild territory and over the Sierra Nevada’s, or by ship around Cape Horn and into San Francisco. These “49er’s” settled through out the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Trying their hand at mining and panning for gold, many settlers found free and easy riches not to be the case. Many who migrated decided not to participate, or failed, in the arduous and oft unrewarding work of mining gold. These new Californians took up other jobs in newly created ‘boomtowns.’ Settling in newly popular cities located on waterways, many immigrants sought work in trade and service in Stockton. For those that had known the profession back East, Irish immigrants enlisted in the Weber’s Buck Brigade, and later Fire Company. Formed in 1850, The Stockton Fire Department consisted of a single hand engine and the men of Weber’s Fire Company No. 1. An interesting story from the origins of the department details the growing tensions between the two factions of the Fire Company. Divided by opinion and origins, the two factions were known as the New York Boys and the Boston Boys. These firemen, no doubt immigrants from New York and Boston and most likely all Irish, held a vote in 1853 between two men for the new Foreman of the Company. The New York Boys, versed in the politics of Tammany, were able to get their man elected. The Boston Boys, disgusted by the outcome, seceded and created the new Eureka’s Fire Company No. 2. A difficult idea to grasp that so many traveled so far on so little; it’s true that many of Stockton’s first Firemen were from Ireland, and that many of Stockton’s first Irish immigrants were Firemen. A case in point would be one of Stockton’s early and most popular Chiefs: Michael McCann. Born in Ireland in 1847, his family immigrated to America that same year. By 1855, the McCann family had settled in Stockton. In 1869, Michael McCann joined a Fire Company, and by 1886 he was selected for Chief. He is just one example of an Irish Firemen in the legacy of the Stockton Fire Department.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 16:59:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015