Retired Fire Trucks

 

1974 Ford/John Bean – Parkersburg WV

1000 GPM – 750 Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

1957 ALF #L-5536 American LaFrance Parkersburg WV
1000 GPM / 300 tank
Gas/manual

 

 

 

 

1981 Sutphen 100′ Tower
1500 GPM – 300 Tank – 92’ A.T.
#HS 1517

 

 

 

 

 

 

HORSES WERE IMPORTANT IN THE BEGINING OF THE PARKERSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT. REGULATIONS REQUIRED THAT THE DRIVER WHO WAS NOT A FIREMAN. TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF THE HORSES

 

 

 

 

EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL FROM THE OLD LYNN STREET STATION (L TO R) WILLIAM BARRETT, DODE LLOYD, CHARLES GOOSMAN, BILLY GASTON, AND A CIVILIAN, MR. BICKLE. THE HORSES ARE ED AND FRANK.

 

 

 

 

ON FIFTH STREET , ACROSS FROM FIRE STATION NO.1 IN 1922. PICTURED (L TO R) ARE CHARLES LOWERS, DAN HILL, UNKNOWN, “RED” DOWLER, JOSEPH MALONEY, ALLEN MURDOCH, NEWT MCKITRICH, TOM DALEY, BOB ARMOUR, _ CHARLES GOOSMAN, AND UNKNOWN.

 

 

AMERICAN LAFRANCE PUMPER 1922 (L TO R) DAN HILL, CHARLES LOWERS, K. M. GROGAN, FRANK TUCKER, JOE MALONEY, FLOYD COCHRAN, AND WILLIAM HEYDENRIECH

 

 

 

 

BILL CHICHESTER IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT AND MARVIN SEAMAN AS THE TILLENNAN OF THE DEPARTMENT’S 1923 AMERICAN LAFRANCE AERIALTRUCK. PICTURED  ON THE RAMP OF FIRE STATION NO.5 BLIZZARD DRIVE .

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN OLD TOURING CAR CONVERTED INTO A HOSE REEL AND LADDER TRUCK. PICTURED (L TO R) A.T. SMITH, SR., GAIL SMITH, CHIEF HEYDENREICH, W. G. “RED” DOWLER, AND PHILLIP DOLLMEYER. TAKEN ACROSS FROM THE #2 FIRE STATION ON 17TH STREET

 

 

 

THE FIRST STEAM PUMPER OF THE PARKERSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS AN 1892 LANE AND BOSLEY. THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN CITY PARK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shiny with brass and also reflecting glory of past performances in the old days of Parkersburg ‘s fire service is the ancient horse-drawn steam pumper. Spencer K. creel, who owned the pumper, and who operated it during parades, said it was last used for fire fighting during the flood of 1913. The Dana Co. property caught fire at 3rd and Juliana Sts. and the pumper was used in fighting the blaze, taking water directly from the street, or in other words, using flood water to fight a fire. Creel, in discussing the operation of the pumper, said kindling wood was kept saturated with oil, with wood on top of the kindlings and coal on top of the wood. When an alarm came in, the kindlings were ignited and by the time the pumper reached the scene there was sufficient steam for it to go into action. He said it is what is known as a “flash type” boiler, capable of raising steam in three minutes.

 

 

Horse drawn fire company at Parkersburg City Hall, circa  1907

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special thanks to Roger Mackey, MackeysClockRepair.com for providing historical photos of Parkersburg fire trucks.