Frank Fowler Loomis

Frank F. Loomis
Frank Fowler Loomis in 1915
Born	April 2, 1854 Akron, Ohio
Died	September 19, 1936(1936-09-19) (aged 82) Akron, Ohio
Occupation(s)	Electrical and mechanical engineer
Known for	Inventing the first police van
Notable work	Fire alarm and control system

Frank Fowler Loomis (April 2, 1854 – September 19, 1936) was an American engineer and inventor who worked for the Akron, Ohio fire department. In 1874, Loomis, with the help of another engineer, developed four telegraph fire alarm boxes, which were patented in 1885. Loomis developed the city's fire alarm and control system, and built the world's first police van.

In 1899, Loomis would build the world's first police van, which was stolen and destroyed during the Akron riot of 1900. However, it was eventually restored and continued functioning for seven years before being overhauled in 1913. He would also establish the "Loomis Award" in 1936 for fire service and heroism, but only three firefighters received the award during the first 50 years after its inception.

Loomis was born in Akron, Ohio on April 2, 1854, as the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Loomis. He attended Akron Public Schools until his father's death in January 1862, later living with an uncle in Wadsworth for the next seven years. In 1869, Loomis worked at Merrill's Pottery for a year, and became a volunteer fireman in the Akron fire department that same year. He later learned the blacksmith's trade before becoming a minuteman at a steamer in 1870.^[1] He slept at the fire station and worked as a street vendor during the day. His first job at the fire department was as a telephone operator and would sound the alarm to get volunteers in case of a fire.^[2]

In 1874, Loomis and another engineer developed and deployed four telegraph fire alarm boxes. These were placed at key businesses throughout the city of Akron. The system was in need of updates and further improvements, but the city would not fund it. Loomis, another engineer, and the fire chief purchased wire from a defunct telegraph line to make these improvements. It was soon realized that the operator could not give an accurate signal while under the influence of a fire. Loomis then developed an alarm box that worked by turning a crank which then automatically gave the correct signal.^[3]

Loomis married on July 10, 1879, to Barbara Grad, in Akron.^[1]

In 1885, he was granted a patent for an alarm box^[4] that worked by breaking glass and pulling a lever which opened the box and in turn sent out an automatic signal.^[5] Loomis was promoted to city engineer in January 1881.^[1]

The success of the fire alarm system led to Loomis designing a similar system for the police patrol cars in 1885.^[7] It was first developed with a telegraph key, but was later improved with the addition of a telephone.^[8] In the late 1890s, Loomis began developing a horseless carriage for the police department.^[9][10][11] In 1899, it became the world's first motorized police patrol car.^{[8][12][13][14]} Loomis of E. York Street in Akron was the inventor of this car.^[15]

The police patrol car was built in 1899 by the Collins Buggy Company of Akron to Loomis' specifications and drawings.^[16] The motorized patrol car is an electric vehicle that weighed three tons with its battery.^[17] It had a capacity of 12 people and was powered by two 4-horsepower electric motors. The police car's storage batteries had to be charged every thirty miles.^[18] It came with a headlight and a bell to alert people it was coming.^[9] At the time of its inception, the police patrol car had three speeds and could go up to sixteen miles per hour.^[19] The patrol car was less expensive to maintain than a team of horses to pull a wagon to do the same job.^[20] They are sometimes referred to as "paddy wagons".^[21][22][23] Visitors came from all over the United States to see the car, and replicas were soon put into operation in Cleveland, Chicago and New York City.^[24] A station was even built for police patrol cars.^[25]

The streetcar was taken by a mob during the 1900 Akron riots, and was damaged and pushed into the Ohio and Erie Canal.^[26][27] It was restored, repaired and put into service for another seven years.^[28] The electric police patrol car was then completely overhauled in 1913.^[29][30] It was exhibited and became part of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.^[31] It was later purchased by the Selle Company and scrapped in 1917.^[24]

Loomis retired in 1910^[32] and established the eponymous "Loomis Award" for fire service and heroism. It was originally established by his idea in 1936 and in the first 50 years only three firefighters received the award.^[33] Loomis later died on September 19, 1936.^[2]

• Perrin, William Henry (1881). History of Summit County. Baskin & Battey.
• Childress, Morton O. (2005). Louisville Division of Police. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-59652-060-8. The motorized patrol wagon began taking over the duties of the horse drawn "paddy wagon."
• Chilton (1908). Operation & Maintenance. Chilton Class Journal Company. This wagon was designed and built by F. F. Loomis, city electrician.
• Kane, Joseph Nathan (1997). Famous First Facts. H.W. Wilson. ISBN 978-0-8242-0661-1. (#4137) The first police patrol wagon was designed by Frank Fowler Loomis of Akron, OH, and was placed in service by the Akron Police Department in June 1899. It had three speeds and could go 16 miles per hour. It was operated by electric power and weighed 5,500 pounds, including the batteries.
• Police Journal (1917). The Police Journal. The National Police Journal.
• Price, Mark J. (July 20, 2015). Lost Akron. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-62585-107-9. A decade later, the Collins Buggy Co. made history of its own when it built the world's first motorized police wagon in 1899 for city engineer Frank Loomis.
• Price, Mark J. (November 27, 2017). Mafia Cop Killers in Akron. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-4396-6382-0. Hooligans stole the Akron departments' pride and joy, the world's first motorized police wagon, a 5,500 pound, battery-powered vehicle built by city electrician Frank Loomis in 1899, and dumped it unceremoniously into the Ohio & Erie Canal.
• Wager, Richard (1975). Golden wheels. Western Reserve Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-911704-12-9.
• Robertson, Patrick (November 11, 2011). Robertson's Book of Firsts. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60819-738-5. The First Police Car was an electric paddy wagon capable of speeds up to 16 mph that was built in 1899 by brothers Frank and C.H. Loomis for the Akron Police Department in Akron, Ohio.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frank Fowler Loomis.

• Frank Fowler Loomis at Find a Grave