Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality
Charles E. Miles......the last volunteer Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, ca. 1870s
usc digital archive
I admire his uniform and fire helmet.
I notice it says 38 on his belt buckle. This must be the number of his Engine Company. ? |
The Thirty-Eights were a volunteer outfit organized in 1875 according to the Wikipedia entry. I can't find a cite offhand, but I've read elsewhere that there were 38 members at the time this was established, hence the name.
Having sufficiently many stations to require two-digit numbers would have been preposterous at that time.