The town’s first steam-powered engine, purchased in 1873. Steam-powered pumping of water represented an important improvement over the hand-pumping that was previously required. This photo appeared as part of this article in the March 29, 1956 issue of the Brookline Citizen:

Former Resident Identifies First Brookline Fire Engine
In the 250th anniversary issue of the CITIZEN we used a picture which we had been able to identify only as the first steam fire engine owned by Brookline. Found in the files of the public library, there was no further identification to be had there.
Chief George L. Gettings of the fire department became interested and searched old scrapbooks of the fire department without being able to unearth any further material. We did find advertising pictures of both the Amoskeag and the Hunneman machines but a good deal of comparison with the photograph didn’t convince either Chief Gettings or the anniversary issue editor that we were safe in making a “statement”. There are, after all, too many fire buffs among us these days!
The following very nice letter from Mr. Alfred P. Waterman, who was born in the house still standing at 20 Aspinwall Ave. in 1873, not only answers the question we posed but provides the gratifying information that the citizen “gets around”. Mr. Waterman writes from his present home at 3142 13th St N, St Petersburg, FL:
“I have been reading with much interest the 250th anniversary number of the CITIZEN and wish to congratulate all who had a part in its publication. Having been born in Brookline and having lived there from 1873 to 1938, I found many things in it which were very familiar to me.
Regarding the item on the fire department – the Joseph Thomas Waterman mentioned was my father [ed. The 1865 creation of " Good Intent Hose Co." heralded a much more sophisticated approach to fire fighting in the town and the first Board of Fire Engineers was created to oversee those efforts. J. Thomas Waterman was a carpenter who was appointed to the board.] and I know from my family that he went to New Hampshire and gave the order for this engine to the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. so the engine was an Amoskeag.
He was a member of the Good Intent Hose Company of that time and I believe you will find in the Brookline Town Report of that year about the purchase of this piece of apparatus. If I can be of any further assistance in giving old Brookline information, especially the section from Pond Ave. to Coolidge Corner, please let me know.”

[Courtesy of the Digital Commonwealth (CC BY-NC-ND). From the Brookline Photograph Collection published by the Public Library of Brookline]