Robert Fulton Fire Company Honors Namesake on His Birthday

Photo by Robert Fulton Fire CompanyA portrait of Robert Fulton, the engineer and inventor born November 14, 1765, and namesake of the Robert Fulton Fire Company.

Photo by Robert Fulton Fire CompanyAn illustration of the Clermont, Robert Fulton’s groundbreaking steamboat and the first to achieve commercial success.

Photo by Robert Fulton Fire CompanyThe Robert Fulton Fire Company emblem, featuring the Clermont steamboat, hand-painted on apparatus doors in tribute to the company’s namesake.
The Robert Fulton Fire Company marked November 14, 2025, by honoring the birthday of its namesake, Robert Fulton, whose legacy continues to shape both local history and the identity of the fire company. Fulton was born on November 14, 1765, just 2.8 miles north of the company’s station along what is now Robert Fulton Highway.
An accomplished engineer and inventor, Robert Fulton is best known for developing the world’s first commercially successful steamboat, the Clermont, a breakthrough that revolutionized transportation and commerce in the United States. His innovative spirit and lasting contributions have made him a historical figure of national significance.
When the fire company was chartered in 1956, its founding members chose to honor Fulton by incorporating his name and legacy into the newly formed organization. That tribute remains visible today, as the Clermont steamboat is hand-painted on the doors of each piece of apparatus operated by the Robert Fulton Fire Company, serving as a daily reminder of innovation, determination, and local pride.