VIDEO: Wooden ladders and a three-person bench seat wouldn’t cut it for a fire engine in modern-day departments. “It was our first fire truck that we purchased as a department.”
But for members of Factoryville Fire Company back in the 1930’s, this Ward La France pumper, bought for $750 dollars at the time, was the top of the line. “After reorganizing in 1930 and we chartered, uh, we bought this new, we ordered in 1932, it was delivered in 1933,” said Chief Brian Gow.
Fire Chief Brian Gow says the piece of firefighting history was taken out of service in 1971 and bought back by Ward Le France. “They used it as a promotional piece, a safety color that was being introduced for visibility purposes…they outfitted it with beer taps and an 8-track player, and it toured around the East Coast,” said Gow.
It did make the occasional trip back, seen in Factoryville’s centennial parade in 1983. But as it passed from one owner to another, it became lost.
WNEP-TV ABC 16 Scranton
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