Cambridge Innovations - Fire Hoses

Did you know that fire hoses were invented in Cambridge? Once upon a time, fire hoses were made of strips of leather riveted together. Too much pressure would cause the rivets to pop and storing them incorrectly would cause the leather to crack. When a hose was needed, it was never certain if it would hold up, so fires were fought mainly with labor intensive and inefficient bucket brigades. In 1870, Cambridge’s Lyman Blake, invented a new machine that could sew rubber-lined canvas into a hose. Colonel Theodore Dodge saw the possibility for an improved fire hose and together they began to manufacture the “Blake hose.” Over the coming years, Dodge worked with James Gillespie and Robert Cowen to create woven multi-tubular fabrics, or essentially hoses woven from rubber and cotton. These fabric-reinforced hoses were flexible, resilient, and could withstand much greater pressure than any other hoses being made at the time. The successful combination of Dodge and Cowen's efforts resulted in the formation of The Boston Woven Hose Company, which grew to be the largest supplier of rubber goods in America. Some of their buildings are still standing today at the corner of Hampshire and Portland Streets. Our Spring Benefit this year will explore the history of innovation in Cambridge. Join us on May 20th to learn more about how Cambridge inventions have changed the world. For more details or to buy tickets visit: www.cambridgehistory.org/calendar/innovation