This photograph was taken shortly after the completion of the new brick fire station on Mechanic Street in 1911. At that time the Sanford Fire Department owned three horses but had to share them with other town departments during the day. If a fire signal came in during normal working hours, the firemen had to retrieve their horses before they could respond to the alarm. This was not the only difficulty they faced. The department's report for the year ending January 31, 1912 reported that one of the horses was nearly blind and another "...causes to considerable trouble in going under the harness when the alarm comes in!" It was not until 1914 that the department had exclusive use of its horses.