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Notable people · Industrialist · Fire Chief

Miles Greenwood

Miles Greenwood owned Cincinnati's Eagle Ironworks. After an 1852 fire destroyed it, he, Alexander Latta and Abel Shawk built the steam fire engine presented to the city on January 1, 1853, and he became chief of the first fully paid U.S. fire department.

At a glance

Known as
Industrialist, Fire Chief
Organizations
Eagle Ironworks, Cincinnati Fire Department

Life story

Miles Greenwood ran the Eagle Ironworks in Cincinnati. A fire in 1852 destroyed much of his business.

Starting March 2, 1852 he worked with locksmith Abel Shawk and locomotive builder Alexander Latta on a steam fire engine. His ironworks made the engines, which could start pumping within ten minutes.

The engine, named Uncle Joe Ross, was presented to the fire department on January 1, 1853, making Cincinnati the first city to use steam fire engines.

He became the first chief of the department when it was set up on April 1, 1853.

Timeline

  • 1852: Fire destroys much of Eagle Ironworks (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1852-03-02: Work begins on steam fire engine with Shawk and Latta (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1853-01-01: Engine 'Uncle Joe Ross' presented to the fire department (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1853-04-01: Becomes first chief of Cincinnati Fire Department (Cincinnati, OH) source

What Miles is known for

  • Co-built the first practical steam fire engine; first chief of Cincinnati's paid fire department, 1853
  • Eagle Ironworks
  • Steam fire engine 'Uncle Joe Ross' (1853)

Inventions and firsts

All Ohio inventions and firsts

Honors and things named for them

  • First chief, Cincinnati Fire Department

Family

Ohio places

Where Miles Greenwood was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.

Further reading

Sources

Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.

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