Photos by Jones, Bunn, Livermore Heritage
Guild, & Tri-Valley Herald
A couple of years ago I contacted Lynn Owens, the Chairman
of the Centennial Bulb Committee, Retired Division Fire Chief,
and Livermore Fire Department Historian, and asked if he would
take me to see where the old Fire Houses were, and where the
bulb got it's start. He agreed and off we went!
Second Street Fire House
Our first stop was at a bank parking lot. Not much to see, but
as Lynn talked about it, walking off where the building had been,
and the bell tower, I could start imagining from 100 years ago. So he showed me a photo from the 1970's of the very
same building. It had been modified, the false front gone, a
porch built all around, and two big fire doors missing, but still
this was it. It was being used as a rental, was not in the best
of shape, and was torn down shortly after this photo. Still you
could see where the the town hall was up stairs, and the fire
Department on the first floor. As he showed me
the photo we walked across the street to the spot where this
photo was taken. A vacant lot!. So using my imagination, of seeing
it without the modern wires, poles, and cars I used my PC to
color and put the building back on it's lot, somewhat like it
appeared in the 1920s. Then Lynn showed me a
sketch of what it had looked like in 1890, and challenged me
to create a picture of the Station 6 as it might have appeared
in 1901 when the Bulb was first installed. So hear you have it!
The Second street Station, complete with Bell Tower, Fire Boys,
Pull Cart, and of course, our Shelby Light Bulb.
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