Elmira's Fire Chief John H. Espey

By Susan Zehnder, Education Director

Imagine knowing what you want to do from a young age and then doing it for half a century. One such determined man was Elmira fire fighter John H. Espey. First joining the fire department in 1887, he remained on the force for 50 years. The last 32 of those years, of those he served as department chief.

John H. Espey

Unexpected circumstances led him down this career path, but it combined his interests in plumbing, firefighting, and public service. Espey was born in Pennsylvania in 1862, the oldest child of Daniel and Eliza Espey. When his father took the position as foreman at the Elmira Rolling Mills Company, the family moved to Elmira. Tragically a few years later, his father died in a work accident at the mill, leaving the family with few resources. Eight-year-old Espey knew he needed to pitch in to help his family. He became a plumber’s apprentice, learning a trade that proved useful.

His plumbing work took him all over the city. One significant job was at the Elmira Reformatory, which was expanding and modernizing its steam piping. Unlike many young boys and men at the time, Espey did not smoke and he avoided any form of tobacco. He was hired for the reformatory job because they knew, as a non-smoker, Espey would not be vulnerable to being bribed by the inmate.

At 14, he found his passion for firefighting and helping others. One Sunday morning while on his way to religious school, he was passed by a parade of horse-drawn fire wagons. He followed the commotion, jumped in to help the firemen, and as he described it later in life, he felt it was the right thing to do.

Espey continued to work as a plumber. In 1887, at the age of 24, he got married to Tillie Lena Kreutter,

Marriage certificate from July 3, 1887

and he joined the fire department as a call fireman. He slept at the engine house at night, on call to answer alarms. Pay for fire fighters at that time was $16.66 a month or a little over $500 in 2024 dollars.

Service certificate awarded 1897

After two years, Espey was appointed call foreman for Engine and Hose Company No. 1. The station was located at East Market Street and was the only station located within city limits. Since Elmira had recently installed new iron pipes to handle a growing water system, Espey’s plumbing expertise became important. He knew precisely where pipes were located, which allowed fire engines to hook up to a water source faster and more efficiently.

Espey soon became known and trusted as the company’s pipe man, and in 1887, he was appointed department plumber. In this position he invented an automatic way to shut off valves at the back of the steamers, and a more efficient chemical engine lighter.

His fellow firefighters thought so highly of him that in 1889 they sent him off to New York City for special training at the New York Department Firemen’s School. There he learned the latest firefighting techniques and training and made valuable contacts with people from around the state.

By now, Espey and Lena had two daughters and a son and the couple lived on Brand Street in the Southside.
In 1902 his position of department plumber was abolished and Espey was transferred to the truck company. This move reduced his pay by $10 a month. In 1904, under a new mayor, Espey was appointed chief of the Elmira Fire Department. This was somewhat controversial since the mayor had previously reassured the current chief that his position was safe. The Star-Gazette newspaper editors reacted by printing:

Apparently other members of the Espey family held positions with the street department and as a superintendent of Grove Park. All appointed by Mayor William T. Coleman who was in fact related to Espey by marriage. The new chief’s salary was now $1,500 a year, marking a big increase from his previous one, and the implied favoritism didn’t sit well with everyone. Mayor Coleman only lasted a year in office, while Espey lasted 32 years in his position. Under his leadership, the fire department moved into the modern age. Among the early changes he made was adding the first aerial motorized truck in 1905.

His efforts got him noticed outside of Elmira. Soon he was elected president of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. He attended national and international firefighting conventions and worked with the local Chamber of Commerce to bring a convention to Elmira. At these gatherings he often endorsed helpful products and new methods. Many of these were associated with the American LaFrance Fire Engine Company, which had relocated its world headquarters to Elmira.

Espey’s popularity didn’t always win over everyone. His reports on the department’s readiness and the city’s fire preparedness were challenged by insurance companies and by local papers. He gained a reputation of having a bad temper. In the 1920s he began to butt heads with local officials. One city official ordered him to test out newly acquired equipment at Eldridge Lake, but Espey refused on the grounds that the lake had too much debris and it would ruin the new pumping system.

At one point he was ordered to give up his night driver. By this time, Espey was 58 and lived with his family on the Southside. If an alarm sounded at night, his driver would come to pick him up before heading to the scene. One disgruntled city official thought he should be required to sleep at the station to save money. Espey protested, and eventually the fuss died down.

In 1929 Espey promoted a training school which drew firefighters from more than 32 cities and villages in the area. In 1931 he proposed adding an arson squad, but this time elected officials were not in favor and it never came to be. Espey’s health declined. He suffered from a heart condition and in 1936 was forced to take a leave for months. In the spring of 1937, he returned to office, determined to continue. He died on June 30, 1937, at 74 years of age. It was two days past his fiftieth anniversary with the Elmira Fire Department.