Old fire trucks hate to die. The big old things have a lot of romance and memories attached to them - and have helped save many a home and life. Ashland's long-abandoned 1946 Ford fire truck is no exception.
Among its legends is that it fell into Ashland Creek during the big flood of 1948 when the bridge it was on collapsed, but its red warning light continued burning for hours, earning it the nickname of “the amphibious fire engine.”
The rugged but worn-looking beast, bristling with chrome handholds so fire fighters could just jump on bumpers and running boards and go for it, served Ashland for three decades and was auctioned off about 1976, says Ben Truwe, a member of the Southern Oregon Historical Society Board of Trustees.
The 1-1/2 ton fire truck, powered by a Ford flathead V-8 engine, was last used for a 1992 wedding in Jacksonville. It passed through many hands and was put out to pasture for 10 years in Shady Cove, where it seriously degenerated.