featured-image

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — Even Rossman Elementary School students touring the new Becker County Museum on Wednesday, May 8, oohed and aahed at a restored gem. A fire engine from the Frazee Fire Department — their first one.

The horse-drawn truck, built in 1913, was called on to fight a fire of the century in nearby Detroit Lakes a year after Frazee bought it. So how did a horse-drawn fire truck get from Frazee to Detroit Lakes? "That's a long way to go with horses. They got a phone call for assisstance on the fire and they commandeered a train .



.., threw it (fire engine) on a flatcar, and in about a half hour's time they were up here pumping water.

And were credited with saving, supposedly, at least one of the blocks of Detroit Lakes," said WestDave Gierszewski, a Western Minnesota Steam Thresher Reunion volunteer. That fire in August of 1914 destroyed a good chunk of Detroit Lakes. It started in a livery stable and spread to the opera house, destroying it.

Believe it or not, there are pictures from that 1914 fire in downtown Detroit Lakes. In fact, a fire hose used to fight the fire is at the new Becker County Museum. Along with the Frazee fire engine.

"We've got school groups coming in right now. It's a big field trip time of year," said Becker County Museum Director Becky Mitchell. "Each cylinder has two spark plugs in it, dual ignition, so redundancy already for the firefighter," Gierszewski said as he showed the restored fire engine.

Gierszewski and an army of WMSTR vol.

Back to Beauty Page