Picturing the Past
Local Firetruck History
Story: Mayor Greg Wright
In the late teens, around the time of World War I, the city of Princeton purchased its first motorized fire apparatus. It was a Federal Fire Truck with a price tag of $3000 ($52k in 2023 dollars). During the 1964 Princeton Sesquicentennial, Princeton Fire Many local citizens were critical of the administration Department Firemen pose by the 1924 American LaFrance Fire Engine. Front row, William R. White, Denzel McCandless, William Earl Combs, appropriating that much money for a piece of fire Orville McGillem, Jerry Wildt, and Charles Paul. Back row, Bob Jines, equipment. Horse drawn firefighting equipment was Claude Sanders, John Speedy, Victor Stunkle, Jack Wilkinson, Frank retained even after the motorized truck was put in Belcher, and Bruce Perry. Photo courtesy R.J. Jines and family. service. By the mid 20’s, horse drawn firetrucks were also equipped with long ladders that could reach in considered ineffective and it was deemed necessary to excess of 50 feet. When the American LaFrance was purchase a new 1924 American LaFrance fire engine. delivered, the length of the vehicle was not considered, The American LaFrance could pump more water than the Federal vehicle or the horse drawn apparatus. It was and it was soon found out it would not fit in the old horse barn on the north side of City Hall corner of Prince and Broadway in Princeton, Indiana. A new brick addition was built on the north side of the fire station to The “Plastic Problem” is house the new fire truck. complex. Plastics pollution is the As more trucks were purchased throughout the biggest enemy and threat to our environment. Plastic years, the 1924 American LaFrance was used as a waste is non-biodegradable and takes THOUSANDS secondary fire truck. This continued until 1960, when it of years to decompose. It is a material consisting of a was finally taken out of service. By the end of the wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic compounds 1960’s, space was becoming scarcer at the old fire that are pliable and can be molded into objects or station, and it was determined that the Princeton Fire fibers. Department would not be able to house the obsolete Plastics are classified by number. You can find out vehicle. The truck was stripped of any useful or what type of plastic an item is by looking for the dangerous equipment, and it was retired to Southside triangle of arrows with a number inside it. Typically, it is Park as a piece of playground equipment. located on the bottom. The higher the number of plastic classification, the more it takes to break down and recycle. This causes mills to not take those due to how expensive they become to reprocess. Mill policy is the main reason Gibson County transfer stations can only accept PET/PETE (#1) or HDPE (#2) plastics. Examples of these are soda/water bottles, jugs, juice bottles, detergent or shampoo bottles, etc. Bring your #1 and #2 plastics to the Recycle Center or transfer stations and help us to better our community. Please Reduce (the volume of single-use items like plastic utensils, cups.) Reuse (the plastic items that can be repurposed) and Recycle! Thank you, Gibson County!
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Princeton Fire Department Engine number three a 1924 American LaFrance in the mid 1960’s. Photo courtesy R.J. Jines and family.
February 2023
Small Town Living