In 1938 the City of Murphysboro purchased a fire body with a 500 gallon per minute pump from the Central Fire Apparatus Company in St. Louis Missouri.  The fire body was mounted on a 1938 Diamond T chassis.  The truck served the City of Murphysboro from 1938 to 1942 as the first-in truck for in-town calls and from 1942 to1957 as the out-of-town truck.  The 1938 was replaced by Engine 6 in 1957.  Engine 4 was loaned to the Harrison Volunteer Fire Department.  On August 16, 1959, The impeller on Engine #5 (a 1942 Diamond T Central) froze up at a barn fire.  Engine #4 was returned from the Harrison Fire Department and placed back in service as the out-of-town truck.  It was used by them until the Herculese engine blew up beacuse of low oil pressue.  The City of Murphysboro gave the inoperable truck to the American Legion post to be used as a parade truck.  The post was unable to find a replacement engine for the truck and it sat many years at several locations in town.

In 1937 the Ziegler, IL fire department purchased a new pumper from Central Fire Apparatus of St. Louis.  The truck was mounted on a Chevrolet chassis.  After serving the fire department, the truck had the fire body stripped of all firefighting equipment and it was used by the street department.  In the 1970's both the Murphysboro truck and the Ziegler truck were purchased by Mr. Maranti of rural Murphsyboro.  Mr. Maranti took the fire equipment from the Murphysboro truck and mounted it on the 1937 Chevy chasis and stripped down fire body.  It is assumed that what remained of the Murphysboro truck was scrapped at this point.  The 1937 Chevy truck was stored out doors and quickly deteriorated.  In 1987 Mr. John Porter of Murphysboro purchased the truck and began it's restoration in a building adjacent to the Murphysboro Fire Department.  The truck was completely disassembled and the restoration was started.  Mr. Porter never completed the project and the Ziegler truck and the remaining pieces of Murphysboro Engine 4 would sit there for 30 years.

In August of 2017 Brian negotiated with Mr. Porter's family to acquire the old truck as they were cleaning out the property and preparing to sell it.  The truck was moved in September of 2017 to it's new home at the Apple City FD.  

We are looking for information, pictures and stories to document the history of the 1937 truck from Ziegler.  If you have any information, please contact us by phone at 618-687-5476 or by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

The frame of the 1937 Chevy inside Porter Office Supply

 

A view of the back of the truck.  The fire body is suspended from the ceiling.

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The 1937 Chevy at a fire in Ziegler

A picture of Murphyboro Engine #4.  This truck was used as a doaner for fire body parts in the 1970's to complete the parade truck.

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