Able and Willing

(Editor's Note: The narrative below is a verbatim transcription of an information sheet provided by The Pimaria Alta Museum, including all the dubious grammar and run on sentences.)

As a post office was being established in Nogales in 1882, a fire-fighting organization or 'bucket brigade,” known as the Independent Hose Company, who equipment consisted of a few ladders, axes and buckets, was already in existence.

In 1895, The Arizona Territorial Legislature pass an act providing for organization of volunteer fire departments in cities and towns of Arizona. Shortly after this legislation, Captain L.W. Mix, R.H. Clarke and W.W. Flewelling committee themselves to organize a fire department for the town of Nogales. Due to the aggressiveness of the officers and members, the department grew rapidly. In the same month of March, 1895, they contracted to purchase all the fire fighting equipment from the town of Tombstone. The old hand pumper “Able and Willing” and other fire-fighting equipment including a hand drawn hook and ladder wagon and a hand drawn hose cart was purchased from the Tombstone Fire Department for $150, paid in monthly installments of $25. The equipment, along with Able and Willing” was brought to Nogales free of charge, courtesy of the New Mexico and Arizona Railroad and became an important part of Papago Engine #1, later Papago Engine and Hose Co. #1. Tombstone was a boom town in those days and money was plentiful so Tombstone had no further use for this equipment as they had just installed a complete new water system.

The date which Tombstone purchased “Able and Willing” is not known. What is known is that Tombstone suffered two very serious fires during its early history. The first was June 22, 1881, and another on May 26, 1882. According to the dates of the fires and the manufacture date of 1881 on “Able and Willing,” we can only speculate that the old hand pumper was purchased after the first fire and might have played a role in fighting the second fire in 1882.

“Able and Willing” was manufactured by L. Button and Sons of Waterford, New York in 1881. When a fire occurred, “Able and Willing,” probably the oldest and only existing hand-drawn fire apparatus in the entire southwest, was used to draw water out of the many cisterns and shallow wells that existed all over town at the time, and to pump the water through hoses attached to its outlets. It is noted in an old department record that on one occasion when “Able and Willing” was put to work, the fire chief ordered a member of the department to cease lending a hand at the pump handled because he had not paid his dues. (City legend has it that each man promptly paid his dues for the privilege of soiling his clothes fighting fires.)

An interesting fact about “Able and Willing” is that it had to be pulled by the firemen because of a construction design flaw in the rod or shaft, which wasn't properly situated to mount to horses. It is not known if “Able and Willing” was actually the name given to the apparatus by the company. Some say it may have been the motto or logo adopted by the volunteers themselves and later painted onto the apparatus.

In 1917, Nogales purchased its first motorized pie e of fire apparatus. It was a new American La France hose and ladder truck with a four-cylinder engine, solid rubber tires on wooden spoke wheels with a chain driven rear axle. “Able and Willing” then occupied one of the two bays of the new fire house alongside the new truck, but was seldom used except in parades and fire department festivities.

“Able and Willing” served its time until 1923, when it was laid to rest in Mayor L.W. Mix's barn. In 1937, the fire engine was brought out for a parade and was then displayed in the city park. However, serious weathering hurt the old pumper and it was placed back into storage in the civic building. In 1948, the pumper was displayed in the city park for the second time, but had to be put away because of vandalism. “Able and Willing” was again stored in the civic building until 1970, at which point it was loaned to the Tuscon Rodeo Parade Association. In 1980, “Able and Willing” was brought back to Nogales for display at the Pimaria Alta Historical Society, where it is now retired permanently.