Jefferson City Fire Museum

Did you know that the Jefferson City Fire Museum offers retired JCFD patches, and a select quantity of the JCFD 175th Anniversary Challenge coins in exchange for a $12 donation via our website? You can get a patch here. https://firemuseumjc.com/patch-order/ You can get the challenge coin here.... https://firemuseumjc.com/challenge-coin-order/ *Please note that these items are both available for a $10 local donation and pickup, they are listed at $12 on our site due to fees associated with our web platform. The Jefferson City Fire Museum is a non-profit organization that relies solely on donations to operate, we appreciate each and every one of our supporters.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 27, 2007. Tuesday 1:15 pm, Gasoline Transport accident with fire US 54 at the Jefferson St. overpass. The MC-306 tanker was hauling 1000 gallons of Ethanol and 9000 gallons gasoline. The driver was killed in the accident. There were no other vehicles involved and no other casualties. 22 off duty JCFD were recalled. All companies and 3 tankers responded. There were a number of fires in creeks and waterways all controlled by JCFD. As result of this incident the Jefferson St. overpass was torn down and rebuilt.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 19, 2011: At 4:10 AM fire was reported in an apartment at 615 Mulberry. First arriving crews from station... one found heavy fire showing from the second and third floors. People were hanging from windows. Jefferson City firefighters res - cued eight people. The first arriving crews used multiple ground ladders to perform the rescues. A couch was set on fire in a hallway blocking the escape route of residents. The fire went to two alarms and was held there. See more

THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 15, 1837: Late evening, a fire destroyed Missouri’s first capitol. As reported by the Jeffersonian Republican, the State Auditor, Hiram H. Baber, went up town for supper. Returning to his office in the capitol where he commonly... slept at night, townspeople told the Auditor that smoke of unusual appearance was seen coming from the building. Arriving at the capitol, the Auditor found his second-floor office on fire. An alarm of fire roused the citizens. Men rushed to the building. Some entered to help remove valuables, including Secretary of State John Edwards. Edwards had a large law library and lost many books in the fire. His brother, E.L., studied law with him in the capitol. Others helped cover the roof of the nearby Governor’s house with wet blankets. A light breeze out of the southeast, common after a beautiful November day blew embers toward the Missouri River. Had there been a north wind, many buildings would have burned. The issue of fire protection previous to the capitol fire had not been addressed. The Jeffersonian Republican, a local newspaper, pleaded with citizens to form a fire company. The story read: it would certainly be well for our citizens to form a fire company under discipline sufficient to form a line to the river in case of accident by fire. The only expense would be that of a fire bucket for each home. Captain Jno. (German for John) Gorden was heard to be a man suitable to command such a company. Captain Gorden fought in the Revolutionary War, was a tavern keeper and owned several buildings in Jefferson City. An article in the Peoples Tribune from July 2, 1886, confirmed Captain Gorden commanded an early bucket brigade. Drawing by Bill Fannin (Missouri State Museum) depicts the first Statehouse in Jefferson City. (Mark Schreiber Collection)