F. Scott Mellott is a native Texan who was born in El Paso and later relocated to Houston where he became a firefighter in 1975. Mellott remained with the HFD for 31 years until his retirement in May of 2006. The collection provides a pictorial history of the Houston Fire Department with images of fire trucks, fire stations, firefighters in action battling blazes, and some of the department’s Fire Chiefs from the late 1800s through the 1980s. The Houston Fire Department was established in 1838 with one station, Protection Company No. 1. It grew to a volunteer fire department status with three stations by 1859. After 57 years of volunteer service, the City of Houston Fire Department began paying its firefighters in 1895. Three years later Fire Station 7 was completed at the corner of Milam and McIlhenny, the first station built after the beginning of paid service. Fire Station 7 saw active service until 1969 when a new Station 7 was built 14 blocks away. The building remained underutilized until it was restored and turned into the Houston Fire Museum in 1980, which continues to operate today.