Looking northwest toward Beacon St. 233 Clinton Rd. is on the left. In the early morning hours of December 5, 1913 (the date imprinted on the photo is inaccurate), a large water main burst here flooding the neighborhood and damaging homes.

In the center of the photo is the car of fire chief George H. Johnson. It is a Knox Model “R” Chief’s Car that was delivered to the town in August, 1909. It could seat the chief and his driver up front, two firefighters in the back, and carried light equipment like a lantern, axe, and extinguisher. It was capable of traveling at speeds up to 50 mph and was a dramatic change from the horses that were used just a few years earlier.

[Courtesy of the Digital Commonwealth (CC BY-NC-ND). From the Metropolitan District Commission, Water Division, Metropolitan Water Works Photograph Collection, 1876-1930]