The Legendary Fireman of Pawtucket, Rhode Island - Samuel Smith Collyer

Pawtucket, Rhode Island, hides a remarkable tale, the story of Samuel Smith Collyer. Born in 1832, ol' Sam spent his younger years handling the goods at a store, before he decided it was time to toss his textbooks aside and find work as a post office clerk. A few more yearly changes saw him become a machinist, a job he held for seven solid years before teaming up with his uncle. After his uncle checked out, the business landed with his wife. She later passed it to Sam, who hung on to it until it was his turn to take a bow in 1884.

Sam kept his business humming while also serving on the board of water commissioners, taking care of the Pawtucket Water Works, and representing North Providence as a member of the town council, serving as its president for three years. From 1848 till his time here in 1884, Collyer remained a fixture with the fire departments of North Providence and Pawtucket, rising to the rank of Chief Engineer in 1874. In 1851, Sam tied the knot with Ellen Whipple and they welcomed one daughter, Mary Collyer.

The accident that befell Samuel Collyer transpired in July 1884. While responding to a blaze, Hose Carriage #1, with Chief Collyer aboard, had a run-in with an upright stone post at the Mineral Spring and Lonsdale Avenue corner, sending it over. All six firefighters took a licking, but those a bit less bruised were on the steps or the seats. Collyer, though, who was sitting on the reel, got smashed under the rig. His injuries included a punctured lung and shattered ribs, but he managed to soldier on for nearly three weeks before his injuries proved too much.

Pawtucket mourned Sam's passing, and the town organized the largest funeral procession in its history. Today, Sam is remembered through the Collyer Monument, built in 1890.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons