Back in the late 1800’s, after the large 1871 fire, it was decided that Monroe needed a fire department. There were no motorized fire trucks back then, so horses were often commandeered from Endom’s livery to pull the hose wagon and water pump. Ouachita got their own horses finally and horses were used up until Monroe got it’s first motorized truck in 1912. The sight of those horses at full gallop down the streets of Monroe must have been a magnificent sight! This picture show a pair of horses (among the last to be bought) named Ned and George:
News-Star articles from 1909 state they were magnificent Sorrels who had been bought at New Orleans for $500. Some of the other horses’ names that we have found in newspaper articles:
Bob and Jim (Bay horses), Louis and Lawrence (Black colored), Frank and Dan, Old Kid (who seems to have been an escape artist!), and Big Ben who was the last of the Fire horses to die in 1930.
Ouachita Parish History Tidbits 