North Country At Work

Firefighters on Main Street outside the Canton Town Hall which is fully engulfed in flames. 1962. Canton, NY. Taken by Dwight Church.

Canton Town Hall is completely ablaze, with firefighters in the street around it.  Note the hose hooked up to fire hydrant at bottom left. 1962. Main Street in Canton, NY. Taken by Dwight Church.

A crowd of onlookers watch as firefighters battle the Spaulding building fire on Main Street. February 1, 1925. Canton.

A crowd of onlookers watch as firefighters battle the Spaulding building fire in downtown Canton on Main Street. February 1, 1925. Canton, NY.

A team of horses pulls a firefighting steam pumper named for Silas Wright. Three volunteer firefighters in their uniforms pose with it on Main Street in Canton in front of T. Miller’s Furniture store. Circa 1896. Canton, NY.

Canton’s first piece of firefighting equipment, a hand pumper, was named the St. Lawrence. Note the metal buckets hanging at the center of the pumper. It’s pictured here on Main Street, surrounded by a crowd of men. It was purchased after a devastating fire in 1869. Circa early 1870s. Canton, NY.

Sewer work in progress on upper Main Street in Canton. Pictured is a work crew above a deep ditch filled with wooden scaffolding, two men are at the bottom of the ditch. Circa 1881-1900. Canton, NY.

Henry Bullis in front of his grocery store, which was located on the south side of Main Street in Canton. Note the advertisement for Pillsbury’s Flour on the right side of the storefront. Also, the front windows are reflecting the facades of the buildings located across Main Street. Circa 1910. Canton, NY.

Lisbon residents sit on the steps outside the Post Office. Next door is the Clark H Flack plumbing and tin smithing store. Circa 1910. Lisbon NY. Donated by Laurie Worden Kirkby.

Ogdensburg Fire Department horse drawn ladder truck driven by two men sits stationed behind the Place Restaurant on Ford Street in Ogdensburg. Circa 1890-1900. Donated by Sean O’Neill.