New Britain’s Niagara Hose Company and the New Year’s Ball
By Amy Melissa Kirby | New Britain Historical Society Director at January 8, 2024 | 6:00 pm | Print
Since the formation of New Britain as a town in 1850, possibly earlier, there became known a company known as Niagara. One of the first companies, this was also known as the Number 1 engineer and later the Hose Number 1 company (or simply Niagara No. 1). The men of this company, typically numbering about a dozen, were known for their ability to quickly bring their apparatus – a hand or horse drawn hose carriage – to the scene of a fire. This company was often on hand for parades and competitions around the region alongside companies from Hartford and other towns. Besides these morale-boosting activities, Niagara No. 1 took charge of a fireman’s benevolent fund. Before the days of municipal (or even private) employee health and life insurance benefits, benevolent funds were created to help with medical bills, retirement pensions, and the welfare of surviving families. This would certainly be of grave importance to firemen and their families, given the dangerous nature of firefighting. Even when the city funded the fire department as a paid department, these funds were still necessary in case of accidents and retirement.
Sometime in the mid-19th century Niagara No. 1 began the tradition of an annual ball, taking advantage of New Year’s Eve as a popular evening for celebrating and dancing. Guests would be treated with a grand ball, sometimes with guest musicians, and their paid attendance would be a grand benefit to the benevolent fund. In the early years, the hose company would hold the ball at Strickland Hall, at the corner of North Main and East Main streets. This was the former location of North Church, or second meeting house, where now a Taco Bell restaurant stands. In addition to the popularity of the night for holiday celebrating, this was always a convenient central location. Livery service was available late into the night, and gas lighting afforded many the ability to walk, assuming the weather was not too harsh.
In later years, the entire department would become involved in a pension and relief fund, holding annual balls well into the 20th century. A popular location was Hanna’s Armory, a former armory building on East Main Street, near where now the Route 72 entrance lies. Hanna’s Armory was at first converted into housing with a second floor dance hall. In the first decade of the 20th century, it was converted into a first floor dance hall with a balcony. Attendees of this ball would expect to arrive by their own or a livery carriage at the front of the hall. Livery boys would be ready to take one’s carriage to the shed and livery stables behind the hotel. A blacksmith’s shop was even on hand to ensure horses were properly shoed and carriages were in good repair. Attendees who felt unable to return home had the convenience of the small (three-story) Central Hotel located next to the dance hall. Buntings of blue and white or silver would often adorn these buildings, and these were very popular affairs indeed. Not to mention very beneficial to the funds that they benefitted.
Certainly, the nature of these balls – their popularity and the dire need of the benefit funds – is part of a bygone era. That is not to say that a benefit ball could not be successful; certainly many organizations today utilize such events to fund charitable causes. But consider the social and economic situation of nineteenth century New Britain. Entertainment, particularly for the upper classes, was limited to public events such as balls. Men and women would therefore gladly pay to attend balls to mingle with their peers. Some of us today may shudder to think of a time when employees were not provided with city-funded health benefits or pensions. But the Niagara No. 1 Annual New Year’s Eve Ball was an example of how 19th century society insured itself for such purposes – not with taxation, but with a service that garnered funds at an event enjoyed by all.
