Where lies Tom, the beloved mascot of Houston’s Fire Department?
On November 15, 1947, Sigman Byrd shared the charming story of Tom, the hound dog mascot of the Houston Fire Department. In 1905, Tom walked into the arms of Houston’s Central Fire Station as a mangy, malnourished puppy. He then spent the next several years lighting up the lives of Houston’s firefighters and regular citizens.
Pup on HFD’s Payroll
Tom’s character, intelligence, and personality seemed to cast a spell on anyone who encountered him. Fire Captain, George Wilson, thought Tom had more sense than some of his rookie firemen. The pup also eventually learned to differentiate between the calls received at the station.
Tom quickly became “one of the boys” and pulled his weight at the station like everyone else. He eventually learned to differentiate between the different calls at the station and loved tagging along. The hound was usually the first one to the door and would bark for the boys to get going.
No Trolley Fare for Houston’s Top Dog
Tom was a regular passenger on the Houston Electric company streetcars as he traveled from one station to another. While many streetcar operators were well-acquainted with Tom, others attempted to throw him off of the cars. To prevent further confusion, the Houston Electric company gifted Tom a special collar designating his fare-free status.
Killed in the Line of Duty
On January 31, 1913, in the midst of confusion and chaos, Tom was tragically trampled by a horse-drawn fire wagon. Sid Westheimer, nephew of Michael Louis Westheimer, donated a casket for Tom’s burial.
He was laid to rest at the Central Fire Station on February 1, 1913.
Tom’s Monument and Final Resting Place
Tom’s tombstone was a, “marble scroll-carving, surmounted by a dropping lily” located “on the north side of Preston Avenue, near Caroline Street.”
This was the location of the current Central Fire Station at the time (1947), which apparently confused visitors wanting to pay their respects. People often stopped to pay tribute to the carving on the sidewalk, mistakenly believing that Tom was buried there.
Tom’s original burial site is actually near San Jacinto and Texas Avenue, the location of the second Central Fire Station from 1903 until 1923.
“I hate to see people misled about that. But, you see, the old station at Texas and San Jacinto stood for two years after they built this new one, and so we just left Tom behind. Then one day, before anybody knew it, they were tearing down the old station and all we could do was rescue the headstone.
Captain George Wilson to Sigman Byrd in 1947
In 1923, Central Fire Station moved to Preston and Caroline, which is where Byrd’s 1947 conversation with Captain George Wilson takes place. This building still stands today, housing the Harris County Annex No. 2.