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View of Quarry Railroad at deep fill near Swingle’s Quarry
Quarry Railroad near Reinhalter’s Quarry. This railroad was constructed in 1893-4, the object being to connect all the quarries in this section with the Granite Branch of the New Haven Railroad.
1893, authorizing the loan of $50,000 for playgrounds purposes. In accordance with that vote the Park Commissioners located playgrounds in wards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
The land purchased for a playground in Ward Four lies northerly of the old ball field off Hall Place, and in addition to this the Honorable John Quincy Adams gave a tract of land lying on both sides of the Furnace Brook, and adjoining the land purchased makes 20 acres or more of land available for a playground.
Nothing was accomplished toward the development of this playground until June 1910, when the City Council made an appropriation to equip one playground under the Act of 1908, and the Ward Four ground was selected as the farthest removed from present parks, beaches and other places of recreation.
The grounds were put in suitable condition to receive equipment which was installed in July. During the succeeding years seats, swings, and other appliances for amusement and recreation have been installed. During the past summer [1928] two sections of frame bleachers have been erected in the ball field which would seem to be ample to seat a large number of baseball fans.
In 1840 the town voted that the Fire Department be under the control of a chief engineer. Previous to this the town authorities appointed persons to the office of Fireward whose duty it was to superintend the Bucket Brigade as they were called, at the scene of a fire.
No further mention is made of a chief of the Fire Department until 1844 when an account appeared of a fireman’s festival which was held under the direction of the Chief Engineer. Mr. Charles P. Tirrell, the veteran carriage builder, was at that time Chief of the Firewards.
In 1854 under an Act as accepted by the town, the Quincy Fire Department was organized and Mr. George H. French, landlord of the Hancock House was appointed by the selectmen as Chief and served one year, and Mr. George H. Locke was appointed as assistant chief at West Quincy.
