Towson's Fire Station No. 1 will have a special place in line this year at the annual Towson Fourth of July Parade - at the front. Perched inside the station's bright red fire truck, 16 firefighters will lead the parade as honorees chosen by the Towson Parade Committee to recognize the station's nearly 140 years of service and dedication to Towson.
In giving the station the lead role in the parade, the committee is recognizing both the firefighters and the station's connection to the history of the parade, said Betsy Lafferty, a member of the parade's board of directors. The Towson parade boasts the distinction of being one of the oldest Independence Day parades in Maryland, with photos of the fire department's celebration dating to the early 1900s.
Michael Ruppert, one of four captains at the station, will march in the parade while, as the fire engine will follow, flashing its lights and blowing its siren.
The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. with a flyover by jets of the Air National Guard. The route runs from the corner of Bosley and Burke avenues, in front of Towson University, then heads north on Bosley to Allegheny Avenue, and back south on Washington Avenue. The parade ends at Washington and Towsontown Boulevard, only a few steps from the American Legion Towson Post 22.
With the aid of the Fire Museum of Maryland and the Baltimore County Public Library system, Lafferty found vintage photographs of the Towson Fire Company's Independence Day celebrations dating to 1910. In one, photos of political candidates hang from the firehouse windows and American flags are raised from nearby buildings. A combined horse-drawn wagon and chemical fire engine are getting ready to roll, as the parade is beginning.