Old NO. 1 Pumper

1930 American LaFrance

The No. 1 pumper was purchased by the City of La Porte and the Volunteer Fire Department in 1930. This was the first "new" fire apparatus purchased for the city. The serial number for this truck is G-440. Some of the firemen who used this pumper in the height of its career were: Jack Oliphant, Charlie Doug Boyle, Vernon Hambrick, D.C. Dunham, Jay Noel, and the late H.P. Pfeiffer.  Pasadena, Texas Fire Department purchased an identical truck at the same time, and ironically, it's been refurbished and is housed at Pasadena's Fire Station 6.  The original restoration on Pumper 1 began in 1979 but was put on hold for a time. 

It's been worked on off and on over the years, but serious restoration began about a year ago.  Mike Boaze and Hank Craddock wanted to have Pumper 1 ready for Sylvan Beach Day on April 24, 2004. With help from other volunteers, including Jim Wilson, Ray Salinas, Chris Lindeen, Gary Swilley, George Molnar, Robert Robertson, Shane Simpson, Mike Clawson, Patrick McCabe, Cindy Boaze, Wayne Jarvis and Marc Clarke, this goal has been met.  A special thanks to Jerry Clarke for building a new steering wheel. Jerry is a past La Porte Firefighter and City Councilmen. Jerry is a Boatwright by trade. The steering wheel was a nice addition to the Old No. 1 Engine.  There was a lot of hard work and effort put into getting this truck back to its original state, and although there is still quite a bit to do, it is drivable and will be in the Sylvan Beach Parade this year.