Fire Engine
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 27° 52.976 W 082° 48.667
17R E 321718 N 3085553
Located in Heritage Village Park at 11909 125th St, Largo
Waymark Code: WM1969R
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/05/2023
Views: 1
MANUFACTURED 1917
AMERICAN LA FRANCE FIRE ENGINE COMPANY, INC.
ELMIRA, NEW YORK
FRANCES
The American La France fire engine, nicknamed 'Frances', went into service at the Belleview Hotel in 1917. Imagine a hotel with its own fire truck! The self-sufficient hotel, one of the largest structures on the Pinellas Peninsula, had its own water system, police and fire protection. Frances was a sentinel protecting the extravagant wooden hotel until 1934. Capable of pumping 375 gallons of water per minute, this top-of-the-line truck carries a 30 foot extension ladder, searchlight, locomotive bell with clapper and an electric siren horn.
SAVING FRANCES
The hotel gave Frances to the Town of Belleair in 1934 where she helped fight fires for 30 years. Several individuals and groups cared for Frances, but by 1979 a retired fire captain rescued her from
a junkyard in Tarpon Springs and spent the next 7 years restoring her to original condition. She went home to the Town of Belleair for about 10 years before coming to Heritage Village.
Marker Number: None
Date: None
County: Pinellas
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: Heritage Village
Website: Not listed
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