Company 7’s
Engine 7, Truck 7, Dispatch 7
1767 West Hammer Lane Stockton, CA 95209
Company 7’s Research
In Every Home - Lucky 7’s
In January of 1919, the Sperry Flour Company built a firehouse at 238 West Main Street between Madison Avenue and Monroe Street in near proximity to their flour mill. A motorized American La France Pumper Engine was on order from the manufacturer to be placed in service upon completion of the building. The structure resembled a building used in their advertisements; cottage type, low silhouette, to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood with their logo ‘In Every Home’ on the face with fold out doors in the engine bay. The city agreed to lease the building for a period of three years, making payments yearly to cover the cost of the building and the pumper to compensate the Sperry Flour Company for their initial outlay. At the conclusion of the three year period, the building and pumper would become the property of the city. The station was manned at this location until June 9, 1944 due to manpower issues required by World War II. Twenty-five members of the Fire Department were serving in the various branches of the military – Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy – causing a shortage of personnel to run the apparatus. Engine 7 was placed in the quarters of Company 6 as a reserve engine to be manned on multiple alarm fires, staffed by relief crews if needed. The company designation would remain there for nearly 20 years. In 1964, a representative of the Parkwood’s Homeowner Association met with Fire Chief J. L. Stevenson, making an inquiry as to when a fire station would be located in their area to respond to emergencies rather than from the existing fire station on Bonnie Lane (Company 4). Chief Stevenson appointed Fire Captain L. R. Peterson and B. Cole to meet with the homeowners, listen to their concerns, and seek a location for a fire station that could be approved by his office. Research into the matter uncovered a dwelling recently purchased by the city at the corner of Amber Way and Hammer Lane scheduled for demolition in order to widen Hammer Lane. Based on expected delayed negotiations in the Hammer Lane project, the city offered the site as a temporary house for the reactivated company to operate out of. (Peterson Research, D.O.T.)
The residential, 3 bedroom home was remodeled to accommodate the company, which would respond into the ‘Parkwoods’ residential area and the business area at North Pacific Avenue and West Hammer Lane. Company 7 remained at the site for over ten years before occupation of their new house moved them in July 1974. Company 7’s moved to their current location at Amherst and Alexandria (now 1767 Hammer Lane ) and responded into the ‘Lincoln Fire Protection’ District that contracted with the city on January 1, 1976. This contract added 15.4 square miles to the city total of 55.6 square miles of fire protection. The total area in now 71 square miles. (Peterson Research, D.O.T.)
