The Old Fire Truck

Kevin O’Harra donated this 1935 Seagrave fire truck to Jackson Township which was the second motorized vehicle operated by the former Grove City Fire Department. At the time, it was a subscription department and residents were required to pay a $40 fee for each fire run. If a fee wasn’t paid, the department would not respond to a future call for assistance. One township resident learned a hard lesson when his home and barn were destroyed by fire and the only department to respond was Columbus. The Columbus fee was more costly: $50 for equipment, $50 an hour on scene, and 10 cents a mile to the scene of the fire from the Columbus city limits. Olen Rumfield was the last Grove City fire chief who assumed the role as Jackson Township fire chief in 1946.