On July 24, 1973, the City of Murphysboro, Illinois received a bid from the American Fire Apparatus Company of Battlecreek, Michigan for a 1000 GPM pumper to be built on Ford C900 chasiss for the sum of $49,386.00. A contract was approved and after many delays and additional costs, Job number 3751 was completed and The City of Murphysboro took delivery of the truck on December 11, 1975. Fire Chief Chester Steele and Volunteer Fireman Ron Manwaring flew to Battlecreek, Michigan to drive the truck home.

The truck was first-in for in-town fire calls from December 1975 until 1984 when the city took delivery of Engine #9.  During its tenure, Engine #8 was first in on many major fires in Murphysboro including, B&K Furniture, Jackson Community Workshop, Mills' Distributing Company, and Murph's Tavern.  Click here to watch a video of the truck responding to Mills Distributing in September of 1978.  From 1984 until 1990, the truck was held in a reserve status at Station II at 20th and Spruce Street.  In 1990 the truck had a brief stint as the first-in out-of-town truck until the city ceased out of town fire calls in 1991.  During this period the truck responded to one notable fire, the Kinkaid Marina which was destroyed in an arson fire.

In 2000 the City of Murphysboro sold Engine #8 to the DeSoto Fire Protection District. It served the DeSoto Township Fire Protection District as Engine 363 until being taken out of service in the fall of 2007.

In January 2008 Brian and Ron Manwaring purchased the truck from the Desoto Fire Protection District and began the restoration of old Murphysboro Engine #8. A new three-bay firehouse was constructed in 2008 to house Engine 8.

Engine 8 sits on the ramp at Station I	Captin Marnati and another fireman stand beside Engine 8 inside Murphysboro Station I.
Engine 8 pumping at the B&K furniture Fire	Another photo of a still new Engine 8 in front of Station I
.Engine 8 and Snorkel 1 at the Mills Dist Company Fire	Engine 8 and Engine 6 sit on the ramp at Murphysboro Station I in the 1980s
Engine 8 and Snorkel 1 at the fatal Murph's Taven Fire	Another view looking south of Engine 8 and Snorkel 1 at Murph's Tavern
Enigne 8 in the late-1980's.  Note the clear lenses on the light bar have been replaced with red lenses	Engine 8 in the 1990s in front of Murphysboro Station II.  Note the addition of the deck gun which has been mouted above the pump panel.
The truck returns to Murphysboro as Desoto Engine 363 for a St. Patrick's Day Parade