This third and final part of Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board Member Rudy Martinez’ post on Samuel (Sam) Haskins, the first black member of the Los Angeles Fire Department, takes us to the long-overdue recognition of Haskins, who died in line of duty in an 1895 accident, being the first department member to do…
All posts tagged black firefighters Los Angeles history
Sam Haskins (1846-1895): He Answered His Last Alarm, Part Two
The first part of this post by Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez introduced us to Samuel (Sam) Haskins, a native of Virginia who came to Los Angeles in the early 1880s and became involved in the political world of the city’s small but active black community. In June 1892, Haskins became…
Sam Haskins (1846-1895): He Answered His Last Alarm, Part One
Editor’s note: Rudy Martinez, a Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member and frequent contributor to this blog, provides another fascinating story of the community’s history with this post about Sam Haskins, the first black member of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The three-part post begins with some background on Haskins up to and including…