American LaFrance Type 92

 By Seth McFarland

The Larned Fire Department was organized in 1876 as a volunteer fire department. It serves over 10 townships in Pawnee County, and currently has a staff of 25, and is maintained as volunteer base. Over the years, some of the older equipment of the fire department has been generously given to the Santa Fe Trail Center. 

 

 

    

Two of the larger objects within the collection of the museum are vehicles which originally belonged to the fire department. These include an American LaFrance Reg L-364 Type 92 PWT truck which was shipped from the factory on June 27, 1929. Although the truck is not the oldest of the fire trucks in the region, it is a great piece within the collection. The museum intends to begin an adoption program to raise funds for restoration of the vehicle. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other is a horse-drawn fire wagon from Anderson Coupling Fire Supply of Kansas City, Kansas.

If these vehicles could talk, it would be interesting to know the numbers of fires they were used to fight to save the lives of Pawnee County residents.