History Of Boyd & Son Boston, Massachusetts
Boyd & Sons was founded in 1819 at Boston, Massachusetts by James Boyd, an Irish Immigrant. James was the son of Hugh and Mary Patton Boyd, and was born in Newtownand, Ireland on November 11, 1793. He married Margaret Curry of Cainey Caw, Ireland in 1815 and came to Boston in 1817. His firm was well known as saddlers and manufacturer of leather fire hose, buckets and helmets and general fireman’s supplies. The Boston firm was also a well established accoutrement maker for the U.S. Government.  During  the Civil War James Boyd’s son Alexander Boyd continued the business.

In 1819, James Boyd began manufacturing fire hose in Boston, Massachusetts. Two years later his first patent – for the rubber-lined fire hose – revolutionized firefighting by making it possible to pump water through hose, rather than draw it by suction. At the time, the Mayor of Boston reported a 100 feet of Boyd’s fire hose would do the same work as 60 men – and do it more efficiently, faster and safer.

James Boyd became a member of the Boston volunteer fire department.. He was the founder of  the Charitable Association of the Boston Fire Department and drew up its constitution and by-laws in 1828. This Charitable Association was the first of its' kind in the country to be originated for the benefit of the fire fighters injured in the line of duty.  He was elected the president of the board of trustees from May 1838 to January 1839 when he retired. He died in Boston in 1855.
 
In 1881 under the leadership of yet another generation of Boyd’s (Alexander Boyd) the firm moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Known now as James Boyd and Brothers, Inc they designed and built fire apparatus from 1908 to 1916. They held some early fire hose patents and made hose carts, hose carriages, ladder trucks, hose wagons, combination chemical hose wagons, and motorized equipment. (See Photo of Boyd Fire Truck near end  of this page.)

In the 1920’s, Boyd’s company changed its name to National Foam and began developing firefighting foams and delivery systems. In the years since, nearly every major fire department in the U.S., the United States Armed Forces and tens of thousands of corporate firefighting teams have trusted National Foam to help them save countless lives and billions of dollars in property. Much in the world has changed in the 200 years since James Boyd’s vision for more effective fire control began to take shape. His company, however, carried on his legacy of innovation. Today, National Foam is the acknowledged world leader in foam firefighting, claiming the most patents of any company in the industry. (See List of Boyd's many patents at end of this page.)



1825 broadside advertising "Sponge Boots" made by the Boyd Company.
Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division

Article on Boyd & Son's Fire Hose
October 22-1859 Scientific American

Post Card image of a hose/chemical car built by James Boyd & Brother
(Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America)

(Reverse of card)  Early fire apparatus manufacturers used photo postcards extensively for advertising. This card was sent by the New England representative, The Cornelius Callahan Company of Boston.

James Boyd started it all in 1819, manufactured leather goods for the military during the Civil War, now his legacy continues today under the name of National Foam. They are the acknowledged world leader in foam firefighting, claiming the most patents of any company in the industry.

1819  First U.S. manufacturer of fire hose
1859  First cotton fire hose and expansion coupling
1903  First front wheel drive fire apparatus introduced
1928  First U.S. manufacturer of firefighting foam- National Foam System, Incorporated
1933  First polar solvent foam
1943  National foam honored by the James Forestall, Under Secretary to the Navy Department for outstanding war production achievements.
          First complete mechanical foam fire protections systems
1948  First foam-water sprinkler system
1952  First large-capacity foam nozzle, monitor
1955  First hydraulic foam tower
          First Dual agent truck for both foam and dry chemical
1960  First Foam fire apparatus with automatic balanced pressure proportioning
1963  First Patented High Back Pressure Foam Maker
1964  First FluoroProtein foam
1965  The first oscillating monitor
1969  First emergency response service
          First foam AR-AFFF
1973  NF's long-standing emergency response service was formalized and named Red Alert
1976  First foam training school
1979  First fire modeling lab for evaluation of foam performance
          First Servo command foam proportioning system
1982  Introduction of Universal Gold first patented 1 X 3% AR-AFFF
1991  First environmentally responsible foam concentrates
1995  New selectable aspirating/non-aspirating foam nozzle
1997  First Dominator-portable 5,000 GPM pump
1999  First Iron Man-10,000-12,000 GPM water cannon
2000  First Neptune- 6,000 GPM water supply pump system
2004  First Triton-6,000 GPM water supply submersible pump system
2006  Environmentally responsible high expansion foam and generator set
2007  First Marine Assault Unit
2010  First Portable Foam System delivered flowing greater than 10,000 GPM