1951 La France Pumper - Gold Hill Historical Museum - Fire Fighting Vehicles on Waymarking.com

On January 3, 1899, eight members former the first Gold Hill Fire Department. This Hook and Ladder Company needed several men just to manipulate the awkward two-wheel cart to a fire location. Regrettably that first fire cart was to meet its demise one Halloween night when vandals dumped it over the Gold Hill Bridge.

Built from an old Maxwell automobile outfitted with a large water tank and other simple fire fighting, Gold Hill was able to boast its first mechanized fire vehicle just after 1920. This motorized 'Command Car' made for a faster response time.

After 20 years of dependable service the La France was relegated to 'second response' when the city purchased another new fire truck in 1972. Eventually yet an additional new truck was added and the aged 1951 vehicle, stripped of hoses and other firefighting equipment, ended up gathering dust and cobwebs in an old city storage building.

In the early 1990s, when Fire District 3 expanded their coverage to include the city of Gold Hill, both of the two more modern city fire trucks reverted to the larger District and were moved to other locations. The 1951 La France remained deserted and almost forgotten in its dark city storage building until 2005 when the City Council responded to a request from the Gold Hill Historical Society and voted to donate the town's first fire truck to the museum for restoration, preservation, and display.

Thanks to the dedication, time and skill of volunteer Bill Pierce the once derelict La France has again become a source of pride, whether on display at its cozy museum carport home showing off in a festive local parade.