Dorchester Historical Society

Dorchester Illustration 2549 Gamewell Fire Alarm

Gamewell Fire Alarm

Advertisement in Fire Engineering magazine, April 1949, featuring a picture of eight-year-old Thomasina De Beneditto who pulled the fire box alarm when she observed a fire in a nearby factory in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

In 1949, the Gamewell Company was located in Newton. The Gamewell fire alarm was created by George Milliken who lived at 44 Virginia Street, Dorchester, from the 1880s to 1921. Milliken was renowned for his inventions. Among them were the Milliken Repeater and the Duplex System, both of which aided greatly in the development of the telegraph system. By 1867, Milliken had risen to the position of General Manager of the Boston Office of Western Union. During his tenure, he hired and oversaw the work of a young Thomas Edison as a telegraph operator. After many years of service, Milliken left Western Union and by 1885 had become the superintendent of Electrical Development and Manufacturing, a laboratory and factory on Congress Street. Three years later, Milliken was Superintendent at the Gamewell Aux. Fire Alarm Company on Pearl Street.

Dorchester Illustration 2530 450 Talbot Avenue

The building at the northeast corner of Talbot Avenue and Welles Avenue is now used by the Codman Square Post Office as an annex.

The building was originally built as a garage in 1921. The Duby Hudson Company seems to have been the last automobile-related company to occupy the building. Duby Hudson, which was owned by Jack Duby, had a used-car facility on Gallivan Boulevard, and they used the Talbot Avenue building as a new car showroom. In 1952, which may have been the last year of their occupancy, the company featured the new Hornet. Other models in the line were Pacemaker, Super, Wasp and Commodore.

Following the Duby Hudson tenancy, the building was put to various uses including the manufacturing of leather trimmings for shoes, assembling storm windows and manufacturing greeting cards.

The date the Post Office began using the building has not been documented.

Dorchester Illustration of the Week

Dorchetser Illustration 2248 Patent Medicine Bottle