---

Until May, 1888, there was no incorporated village of Norwood. All the improvements were being made by developers, community improvement societies and individuals — with the county and townships providing some governmental resources, especially for roads and schools.

One of the important developments was that of fire brigades. The West Norwood and "old" Norwood fire companies have been recognized as early fire fighting brigades, when they were organized after serious fires in their respective communities. However, the first brigade was that of South Norwood, which was created in anticipation of its need. Within a week that need became reality.

The West Norwood volunteers organized on March 10, 1890, (1889 by at least one source)the day after Peter Schneider's Sherman Avenue home was destroyed. The Norwood Volunteers, which called itself Company No. 1, was started on January 23, 1892, (according to one source) after a devasting fire engulfed two livery stables, a blacksmith shop, and two dwellings and killed horses on the east side of Montgomery Road, north of the bridge for a loss of $20,000 (a newspaper article at that time gave the date of the fire as March 17, 1890). The South Norwood Volunteer Fire Brigade was organized on January 10, 1888, (26 or 14 months before the West Norwood Department and 48 or 26 months–depending upon the sources–before Norwood Company No. 1) and fought their first fire six days later at Robert Leslie's Floral Avenue home.

The following clippings from the Cincinnati Times-Star tell of the South Norwood Brigade's beginnings.

---

January 10, 1888:

SOUTH NORWOOD FIRE BRIGADE IS CREATED

    "The South Norwood Fire Company was organized last evening at the Station at Smith's Road crossing—a building which serves the people of that subdivision for a town hall. No engine will be purchased just at present, but each member will keep two fire buckets ready for use at his house. F. A. Zimmerman was elected Captain, Dr. H. P. Hopkins First Lieutenant, J. H. Bosse Second Lieutenant. The following gentlemen signed the roll: Messrs. R. Thompson, Caspar H. Rowe, F. McHugh, H. P. Smith, C. E. Slane, Morris Wickersham, J. McQueety, E. Frick, W. E. Wichgar, C. F. Rust, R. M. Wickersham, Richard Evans and A. R. Kruse."