This weekend is the annual Firemen’s Field Day, and the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society invites you to add to the experience by viewing an exhibition of early photos of Bristol firemen, fire equipment, the fire stations and some historic Bristol fires.
The exhibit is at the society at 48 Court St. and will be open on Thursday and Friday from 1:30 to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m.
Programs, bylaws and memorabilia of the local fire departments, including a badge and patch and a log of all Bristol fires from 1929 to 1931, will be on display.
The materials come from the historical society’s collections and recent donations from Richard Simpson and Richard Usher. If you have materials to share, bring them by the society for them to see.
For more information, call 253-7223 or visit www.bhpsri.org.
After checking out the exhibit, head to Independence Park on Thames Street on Sunday morning to check out the real thing. The annual firemen’s muster is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, July 17, followed by the popular water battle at 1 p.m.
The Defiance Hose Company will defend its title against Ever-Ready Engine & Hose Company, Hydraulion Engine & Hose Company, and Dreadnaught Hook, Ladder & Hose Company. The fire companies will face off in a series of firefighting challenges, culminating in the water battle, in which two teams face off 50 feet apart with fire hoses aimed at each other. The team to stand the longest wins.