The Early Days (1791 - 1845)
George Washington termed Charlotte a "trifling place" when he visited during his southern tour of 1791, but it did not remain so. Early in the nineteenth century Charlotte was a bustling village with all the commercial and manufacturing establishments necessary to sustain the economy.

The census of 1850, the first to enumerate the residents of Charlotte separately from Mecklenburg County, showed the population to be 1,065.

By then, Charlotte covered an area of 1.68 square miles and was certainly large enough that bucket brigades were inadequate for fire protection.

The first mention of fire services in the City records occurs in 1845, when the Board of aldermen approved payment for repair of a fire engine.

The volunteers would assemble at the Square to find out where the fire was, then run to its location. The first arriving firemen would go to the station at Trade and College for the engine and then run to the fire. The original volunteers called themselves the Hornets.

The City's first offices were located in a building at North Tryon and East Sixth. Quarters for two fire companies were provided. The Neptune's had the Sixth Street side, and the Independence hook and Ladder had the Tryon Street side. Originally, the hook and ladder truck was too long for the building and had to be housed outside.

Charlotte's first fire alarm system was installed and began operating in November 1887 with 47 fire alarm boxes. Keys to each box were distributed to the four closest houses and homeowners were instructed on how to turn in an alarm.