Combination Ladder Company
The “Providence” aerial truck featured a pioneering design for a three-section wooden
aerial ladder that was developed by the Combination Ladder Company.
The “Providence” aerial truck featured a pioneering design for a three-section wooden aerial ladder that was developed by the Combination Ladder Company. The Combination Ladder Company was founded in 1862 in Providence, Rhode Island. It manufactured a variety of wood products including chairs, benches, sleds and, of course, ladders for many purposes, including firefighting. In 1885, Charles Nestor Richardson (1860-1925) purchased the company. Richardson focused the company on manufacturing and selling firefighting ladders and other firefighting supplies. Richardson expanded his business holdings to build a national enterprise to serve the fire service. He established and operated the Rhode Island Coupling Company to manufacture and sell firefighting hose and couplings. In 1901, Richardson purchased the plant, stock and machinery of the American Fire Hose Manufacturing Company of Chelsea, Massachusetts. He sold that firm’s machinery to the Fabric Hose Company of New York City and became their sole New England sales agent for fire hose.
As the name suggests the Combination Ladder Company built ladders,
but its product line included everything from hand tools to complete
horse-drawn fire apparatus like this “city size” hook and ladder truck.
Under Richardson’s tireless leadership, the Combination Ladder Company became the New England and East Coast agents for various products from the International Fire Engine Company. These included Holloway chemical tanks, hose wagons and
combination service ladder trucks, La France steam fire engines as well as Gleason & Bailey hose carriages and aerial ladder trucks. Richardson also secured the New England and East Coast agency for Seagrave. He sold Seagrave ladder trucks alongside those of Gleason & Bailey as well as his “Providence” aerial ladder design. Besides selling steam fire engines for the International Fire Engine Company, Richardson and the Combination Ladder Company were agents for Amoskeag and the Nott Fire Engine Company. The Combination Ladder Company also repaired and rebuilt steam fire engines and ladder trucks of all makes.
Although the Knox Automobile Company typically is credited with building Springfield’s pioneering Auxiliary Squad A in 1907, the Combination Ladder Company built and mounted the body for Knox.
In 1906, the Combination Ladder Company built and mounted a “squad” body on a Knox Model G four-cylinder automobile chassis for what would be the pioneering Auxiliary Squad A in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Combination Ladder Company went on to build many pieces of motor fire apparatus using a variety of commercial truck chassis and tractors. Some were sold under the Combination Ladder Company name while many others were subcontract work for Knox and other firms.
The Combination Ladder Company built complete fire apparatus during the 1920s, like this 1927 city service ladder truck on a GMC chassis for Hamilton, New York.
In 1912 the Combination Ladder Company introduced its “Providence Automatic Aerial.” This was an improved spring-raised aerial ladder that was powered by a Christie tractor. It featured the first standard three-section wooden aerial ladder built in North America. Richardson ran the Combination Ladder Company until his death in 1925. The company continued without him. However, it was a victim of the Great Depression and went out of business in the early 1930s.
In 1906, the Combination Ladder Company built and mounted a “squad” body on a Knox Model G four-cylinder automobile chassis for what would be the pioneering Auxiliary Squad A in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Combination Ladder Company went on to build many pieces of motor fire apparatus using a variety of commercial truck chassis and tractors. Some were sold under the Combination Ladder Company name while many others were subcontract work for Knox and other firms.