The early decades of the 18th century were an eventful time for America's cities. Public services were put into place to keep the citizens of large cities and towns in order. One of these was the Police Department. Another was the Fire Department. These became very useful and still effective today for the well being of the people. Public transportation evolved also.
Police officers on o street, lincoln, nebraska, 1925.
IN THE EARLY 1900s, PEOPLE LIVING IN MAJOR CITIES AND TOWNS AROUND THE US BEGAN TO REALIZE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR STANDARDS FOR LIVING. ONLY THE RICH WERE SERVED BY FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE MEN, ONLY THE RICH HAD RUNNING WATER, ONLY THE RICH HAD ELECTRICITY. THE POOR PEOPLE WERE LEFT WITH UNSANITARY AND DANGEROUS SLUMS. DURING THE URBAN GOVERNMENT REFORM, NEW AMENITIES WERE PUT INTO PLACE. THE PEOPLE NOW HAD PEOPLE THAT SERVED THEM ON A DAILY BASIS. ABOVE ARE A FEW POLICEMEN FROM NEBRASKA. THEY ARE FEW OF MANY WHO FOUND A JOB IN PROTECTING THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY IN THE EARLY DECADES OF THE 1900s.
HOSE COMPANY NO. 4, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, 1916.
POLICE WERENT THE ONLY FIRST RESPONDER PUT INTO WORK FOR THE PUBLIC DURING THIS TIME. FIREFIGHTERS BECAME MORE AND MORE COMMON IN LARGE CITIES. THE FREQUENT FIRES CAUSED BY POOR CONDITIONS NEEDED TO BE TENDED TO BY SOMEONE. ABOVE IS A PHOTO OF A GROUP OF FIREMEN FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIREFIGHTER MUSEUM. THIS WAS ONE OF MANY SQUADS THAT WERE DEPLOYED WHEN A FIRE OCCURRED IN A PUBLIC SPACE OR BUILDING. BEFORE THIS TIME, FIREFIGHTERS ONLY PUT OUT A PERSON'S FIRE IF THEY HAD A SPECIAL PLAQUE TO PROVE THEY WERE WORTHY OF SAVING.
shoppers on sixth avenue, new york city, new york, 1903.
AMERICAN CITIES ONLY BECAME LARGER AND STRONGER WITH TIME. ABOVE, ONE CAN SEE THE LARGE MASSES OF PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH THE NEW YORK CITY STREETS. PEOPLE OF ALL DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES COULD SHOP AND WALK AROUND THEIR CITIES. MORE SOURCES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WERE PUT INTO PLACE. EARLY ADVANCEMENTS OF TRAINS, SUBWAYS, AND TROLLEYS WERE EVOLVING. PEOPLE COULD RIDE THEIR CARRIAGES AROUND THE TRAFFIC ALSO. IN THE 1900S, INVENTIONS BEGAN TO POP UP THAT ARE STILL USED TO THIS DAY.
ABOVE IS A SNIPPET FROM THE BOSTON POST IN 1919. POLICE IN THE BOSTON AREA WERE DENIED THE RIGHT UNIONIZE AND WERE FIRED WHEN ASKING FOR RAISES. THIS CAUSES FOR AN UPRISING IN THE POLICE WHO SERVED BOSTON. IT GREW SO LARGE THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD HAD TO GET INVOLVED.