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In 1941, in the midst of WWII, the Village of Fenwick and the Volunteer Firefighters purchased a new 1941 Fargo 1.5-ton truck chassis to be used in the construction of a new, reliable fire engine to protect the village. Although it was new, it was built on a very slim budget. There were no fancy bells or gold leaf, common to the factory-built custom fire trucks of the day, and most of the equipment outfitted on the truck was salvaged from a used 1920s-era Bickle fire truck the village had previously purchased used from St. Catharines.
The new Fargo chassis was sent to Woodstock, where Bickle Seagrave Ltd. installed a small PTO pump on it. The Fargo served as the primary pumper until 1958 when it became a backup truck to the new factory GMC King Seagrave pumper. It was retired in the early 1970s and sold off.
Though it disappeared for many years and was thought to be completely lost, it was found by chance. Over many years and through the efforts of numerous members of our Association, it was brought back to life once again.
On Friday night this week, at the annual Fenwick Lions parade, the fire truck made its way through the village with its original siren still sounding, just as it did for over 30 years protecting the village and responding to countless fires throughout the community. A piece of Fenwick history has definitely been saved, and we hope generations to come will now enjoy this piece of our history.
