# 2264 - 1988 20.5c Transportation Series: Fire Engine, 1900s

U.S. #2264
1988 20.5¢ Fire Engine, 1900s
Transportation Series

• 40^th stamp in Transportation Series; second to picture a fire engine
• Pictures a Model AC No. 516 fire engine 

Stamp Category:  Definitive
Series:  Transportation
Value:  20.5¢, first-class rate for letters presorted by ZIP+4 in batches of 500 or more
First Day of Issue:  September 28, 1988
First Day City:  San Angelo, Texas
Quantity Issued:  102,120,000
Printed by:  Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method:  Engraved
Format:  Coils of 500 and 3,000
Perforations:  10 vertical
Color:  Rose

Why the stamp was issued:  This stamp replaced the 1987 17.5¢ Racing Car stamp, paying the first-class rate for letters presorted by ZIP+4 in batches of 500 or more.

About the stamp design:  Christopher Calle produced the art for this stamp, based on an image John F. Sytsma’s book Ahrens-Fox Album 1973.  The photo came from the collection of Richard Henrich, picturing Model AC No. 516 engine.

Special design details:  This stamp has a “ZIP+4 Presort” precancel.  Precancels are stamps canceled before being sold, to make mailing faster and cheaper for customers with large amounts of mail.  Bulk mailers use precancels, then pre-sort their mail and save money. 

First Day City:  The First Day ceremony for this stamp was held at the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark in San Angelo, Texas, the same area where the fire engine pictured on the stamp was used.

About the Transportation Series:  On May 18, 1981, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Transportation Series, US #1907, picturing the Surrey, a doorless four-wheeled carriage. For the first time in US history, a coil stamp featured its own unique design rather than simply copying that of the current definitive stamp. Over 50 more coil stamps would be issued over the course of the next 15 years, each picturing a different mode of transportation. All of these types of transportation were used since American independence.

The various denominations provided face values to exactly match the rates for several categories of Third-Class mail (bulk rate and quantity-discounted mail). As the rates changed, new stamps with new values were added. Never before had a stamp series included so many fractional cent values.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed most of the stamps in the Transportation Series, although private contractors printed a few. All but a few of the later stamps were produced by engraved intaglio. Differences in precancels, tagging, paper and gum provide a large number of varieties.

Scott Catalog separates the Transportation stamps into four groups. The stamps in the first group (#1897-1908) generally have the denomination in small type with a “c” next to it. These stamps were printed on the Cottrell rotary press, which joined together two plates to make a sleeve. The gaps between these plates created depressions where ink would collect and create joint lines on the stamps. Later issues were printed on a different press and didn’t have these joint lines.

The second group (#2123-36) had larger numbers with no “c.”  The third group (#2252-66) was similar in appearance to the second group, but service inscriptions were added to the designs. These stamps also used a variety of paper and gum as well as different types of tagging. The fourth group (#2451-68) marked the end of fractional values. Now bulk mailers would use either the 5¢ or 10¢ stamp and then pay the difference from the actual postage rate.

The last stamp in the Transportation Series, the 20¢ Cog Railway, was issued on June 9, 1995, at the TEXPEX ’95 stamp show in Dallas, Texas. This marked the end of the largest US definitive series up to that time and the largest US coil stamp series in history. Three new series would eventually replace it – American Transportation, American Culture, and American Scenes. Additionally, the Great Americans would go on to become the largest American definitive series.

History the stamp represents:  Firefighting in America began with colonial bucket brigades that later gave way to new techniques and equipment, such as the steam-operated pumper pictured on this stamp. This particular model was manufactured in 1913 by Aphrens-Fox, a well-known producer of firefighting equipment.

National Fire Prevention Day

On October 9, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first presidential proclamation of Fire Prevention Day. Fire Prevention Day is held in October to commemorate and remind us of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

The fire started on October 8, 1871, at around 9pm in or near the barn of the O’Leary family. Fire officials were never able to figure out the exact cause of the fire. Some theories include that the family’s cow knocked over a lantern or that a group of men were gambling in the barn and knocked over a lantern. Others suggest the fire was linked to other fires in the Midwest that same day.

The fire then spread very quickly due to several factors. There had been a long drought that summer and the flames were strengthened by strong winds from the southwest. The fire also destroyed the city’s water pumping system, which set the firefighters back in their attempts to put out the fire. Many of the city’s buildings were made of wood and topped with tar, plus the sidewalks and roads were made of wood.

At the time of the fire, Chicago’s Fire Department had 185 firefighters and 17 horse-drawn steam engines to protect the city. Unfortunately, they were sent to the wrong location, which allowed the fire to spread in their absence.

The fire moved quickly, through lumberyards, warehouses, and coal yards. At one point, it developed a fire whirl, a spinning tornado-like phenomenon created from rising overheated air meeting cooler air above. This lifted flaming debris high into the air, allowing it to blow across the river and spread even farther.

The worst of the damage was done on October 9. After the city’s waterworks were burned down, there was little the firefighters could do. However, by this point, the fire began to burn itself out and it began to rain. The fire continued into the next day and it would be several days before the building remains would be cool enough to be surveyed.

In all, the fire stretched across an area four miles long and about ¾ of a mile wide, covering over 2,000 acres. It destroyed over 73 miles of road, 17,500 buildings, and caused $222 million dollars in property damage. At least 300 people were killed and about 90,000 were left homeless.

Yet, Chicago was quickly rebuilt. In fact, the effort to reshape the city attracted many of the world’s greatest architects. Chicago rose again to become the nation’s second-largest city and its architectural capital. Within two decades, Chicago hosted the 1893 World’s Fair, showing the world just how well they had risen from the ashes of the fire.

The first instance of a Fire Prevention Day came on the 40^th anniversary of the fire in 1911. That year, the Fire Marshalls Association of North America staged the event to remind the public about the importance of fire prevention. In 1919, several fire prevention groups, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Dominion Fire Prevention Association (DFPA) called on the American and Canadian governments to create a Fire Prevention Day.

President Woodrow Wilson answered this call in 1920 when he proclaimed October 9 to be National Fire Prevention Day. He called on the states to prepare educational presentations to inform the public about the importance of fire prevention. In 1925, the event was expanded to Fire Prevention Week. Each year, the week in which October 9 falls is celebrated as National Fire Prevention Week.