The surviving members of the old original Torrent Fire Company, No. 2, convened at the office of Dr. John N. Mowry, No. 6½ West Third Street, on Monday evening, July 9th., to consider the condition of the order and devise ways to perpetuate the memory of this, at one time, most formidable water, semi-military organization, of Mansfield.  The original roll was called and eighteen names responded.  Thereupon H.R. Smith was called to the chair and Wm. Ritter appointed secretary.

The motion was carried that a committee of four be appointed to collect the banners, arms, equipments, plug hats, spurs and trophies of many hard-fought battles, and they be the custodians of the same.  The committee is E. McCoy, E. McFall, Jno. B. Netscher and Richmond Smith, and all citizens possessed of such will please report to the committee as they are to be put in a place of safety for future use.

Reminiscences being in order Wm. Ritter was constituted as toast master, and the following responded to:

"In fresh fields and pastures new."  G. McFall, T.B. Dodd, S.B. Sturges, Ed. Buttery, W.M. Patterson.  Responded to by M.L. Miller.  

"The Sash Factory Fire"  All standing.  Responded to by Dr. J.N. Mowry.

"Always With Us" Carpenter, Cook, Burns, Dickson, Miller, Ritter, Hoffer, Roop.  Response by E. McCoy.  

"The Cleveland Excursion"  Response by John B. Netscher.  

"Not Present, Though to Memory Dear" Christophel, Blymyer, Glessner, Krause, Snyder, Reisinger, Phillips, Bowman, Coates, Hedges, Moore, West, Barbour.  

The meeting adjourned.

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History of the Company

The Torrent Fire Company, No. 2, was organized in July, 1852, its first officers being as follows:

• Foreman, H.R. Green

• First Assistant, E. McFall

• Second Assistant, J.S. Barbour

• Secretary, Amos Townsend

• Treasurer, S.B. Sturges

At subsequent elections up to the breaking out of the war, which took many of its members into the army and virtually disbanded the original company, the officers were as follows:

As the years rolled by, the original members dropped one by one from the rolls and new and younger men took their places, the company maintaining an organization until April 4, 1872, when the proceedings of the last meeting were placed on record.  The officers at this time were as follows:

Early Members of Torrent, No. 2

The above included all who were members prior to January 9, 1862.

Since those early days some of our Torrent boys have won fame and distinction in the army, at the bar, in our legislative halls, and in mercantile business, and the career of each up to the present time, if published, would make another interesting chapter in local history, but space forbids it.

We shall only add that it is the design of the surviving members to maintain the organization, that at no distant day we are promised a parade of the old veterans, and that when oysters become ripe and ready to fall there will be a banquet given under the auspices which will form an epoch from which all subsequent events will ever after be dated.

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