If Decatur still had possession of THIS fire truck, I’m pretty confident that the city’s “Touch a Truck Day” would no longer be dominated by kids.  Car and history buffs would stand in long lines, wide-eyed, jumping in place, giggling, waiting for their chance to sit in this beauty, making all the relevant fire truck noises with their mouths.

But seriously, even if you’re not into historic vehicles, the photo is worth a look.  (I can’t post it here because like most state-owned photos, I’d have to fill out a form and make payment to display it here.)  Three Decatur Fire Fighters (circa 1914) pose in the photograph along McDonough Street in the city’s brand-new, $8,000 fire truck.  According to a note attached to the photo, it was the city’s first truck after the fire department’s establishment the same year.

The Old Courthouse’s tower is also viewable in the picture, along with a “hardware store” and Turner Funeral Home.

P.S.  Next Stop’s got another nice pic of East Courthouse Square up on his site, featuring what is now the Lenz Building prior to its “modern” facade transformation.  To get your bearings, the Brick Store Pub building is currently at the far left-side of the photo.