When the paid Metropolitan Fire Department took over in 1865, lower Manhattan was fast becoming a big city.  It was a different story uptown.  Harlem, which was once a separate town, was still considered the suburbs.  Rolling hills, valleys and streams provided the background to the beautiful country setting.

By 1880 the population of New York City  would swell to over one million people.  Building construction was booming and the elevated lines were extending northward, the quaint village-like setting of Harlem was slowly disappearing.  The farmland and large estates were being replaced by rows of tenements and brownstones.  The Fire Department struggled to meet the needs of the growing city.

On June 1, 1893, Chief of Department Hugh Bonner established Engine Company 58.  The company was quartered in a new firehouse at 81 W. 115th Street. Shortly thereafter, in 1902, Ladder 26 was formed at a different location and on November 4, 1948 Engine 58 and Ladder 26 were quartered together. On March 10, 1960 they moved into a new house at 1367 Fifth Avenue.  It was here that " the Fire Factory" was born.

The Fire Department's deep tradition of courage, devotion and sacrifice were exemplified by the original members of 58 and 26.  They built on that foundation and created company traditions that we reflect on today.  Many things have changed in the hundred years that 58 and 26 have been around.  But one thing remains constant: the high standards and dedication of the Fire Factory.