Topeka Firemen Mark 100th Anniversary
Saturday June 16th marked a day
of centennial celebration for Topeka’s
Volunteer Fire Department. A family
cookout and picnic had been planned
for the fire fighters, their families, and
former members of the department.
Making the day extra special was the
arrival of Topeka’s original 1929 Model
“A” fire truck (which still runs) owned
by Rob and Carolyn Mills of Deerfield
Michigan. Fire Chief Stewart Bender
had seen an article and photograph of
Mills and the old truck which promoted the invitation to bring it back to
Topeka for the day.
Organized in 1912, Topeka’s first
fire fighters were only equipped with
two hand-draw hose carts. But when
Ford Motor Company offered free
trucks to volunteer fire departments,
Topeka took advantage of the opportunity. While the truck was free, the
town did have to pay the cost of retrofitting it as a fire truck. Boyer Apparatus in Logansport, Indiana, converted
pg 30 · The Hometown Treasure · July ‘12
photo and story by Harold Gingerich
the AA Chassis
into a chemical
pumper truck
which mixed soda
with water to extinguish fires. The
truck was also fitted with a Barton
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