Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum
101 West Main Street Crosbyton, TX 79322US 806.675.2331 [email protected]
Donate here: https://ccpmmuseum.com/donate
1926 Seagraves Fire Truck - Upgrade the Preserved Seagraves!
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‘26 Seagrave Firetruck – Crosbyton Fire Dept
PROJECT TITLE AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The title of the project is Upgrade the Preserved Seagraves! The whole town of Crosbyton has participated in the restoration process of the first fire truck used by the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department, whose brand name was the Seagraves, and thus the name. For background, in 1926, the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department ordered the very first fire truck from the Seagraves Company, located in Ohio. The Seagraves Fire Truck came on the rails as far as Ft. Worth, Texas, and a representative from the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department was sent to Ft. Worth to pick up the truck. Just imagine the road conditions in 1926 between our small community and Ft. Worth! The truck was greeted back in Crosbyton with whoops and hollers! This valiant firetruck served in countless fires, saving both property and life for many years.
Tragedy struck the storage facility in 2008 where the Seagraves was housed, when a fire suddenly struck. It is chilling to listen to the firefighters of today, describing the shouts that could be heard when the call came out that the storage barn was on fire, "Hurry! Save the Seagraves!" The Seagraves survived the fire but was damaged. While celebrating 100 years of the CVFD in 2019 it was decided to try and restore the Seagraves. Local funding efforts began immediately.
It was nothing short of a hometown miracle that in the summer of 2020, the Fire Chief of the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department received a call from Dr. Nick Parker, a retired professor from Texas Tech University, wanting to restore an old firetruck! Dr. Parker’s friend, Shorty Young, a retired machinist, who has owned his own machine shop since 1956 came over and looked at the Seagraves in person. The two men agreed to restore the Seagraves, thus began a two-year restoration process, totaling $30,000 which has been fundraised locally!
Now the restored Seagraves is available for viewing by visitors to the Ericson Pioneer Farm and Ranch Museum which is a branch of the Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum. The Seagraves has already been used in several parades and it became evident that seating was critical for showcasing the people in the bed of the Seagraves. In addition, the idea evolved to make the Seagraves the last resting place for Crosbyton Volunteer Firefighters between the church and the cemetery, carrying the coffin in the back. Contacting the two men who have done the restoration work, they have a plan for redwood benches and a system for sliding a casket between the benches for casket transportation. Thus, the Upgrade the Preserved Seagraves project is our next step for which we are seeking help!
PROJECT TITLE AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The title of the project is Upgrade the Preserved Seagraves! The whole town of Crosbyton has participated in the restoration process of the first fire truck used by the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department, whose brand name was the Seagraves, and thus the name. For background, in 1926, the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department ordered the very first fire truck from the Seagraves Company, located in Ohio. The Seagraves Fire Truck came on the rails as far as Ft. Worth, Texas, and a representative from the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department was sent to Ft. Worth to pick up the truck. Just imagine the road conditions in 1926 between our small community and Ft. Worth! The truck was greeted back in Crosbyton with whoops and hollers! This valiant firetruck served in countless fires, saving both property and life for many years.
Tragedy struck the storage facility in 2008 where the Seagraves was housed, when a fire suddenly struck. It is chilling to listen to the firefighters of today, describing the shouts that could be heard when the call came out that the storage barn was on fire, "Hurry! Save the Seagraves!" The Seagraves survived the fire but was damaged. While celebrating 100 years of the CVFD in 2019 it was decided to try and restore the Seagraves. Local funding efforts began immediately.
It was nothing short of a hometown miracle that in the summer of 2020, the Fire Chief of the Crosbyton Volunteer Fire Department received a call from Dr. Nick Parker, a retired professor from Texas Tech University, wanting to restore an old firetruck! Dr. Parker’s friend, Shorty Young, a retired machinist, who has owned his own machine shop since 1956 came over and looked at the Seagraves in person. The two men agreed to restore the Seagraves, thus began a two-year restoration process, totaling $30,000 which has been fundraised locally!
Now the restored Seagraves is available for viewing by visitors to the Ericson Pioneer Farm and Ranch Museum which is a branch of the Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum. The Seagraves has already been used in several parades and it became evident that seating was critical for showcasing the people in the bed of the Seagraves. In addition, the idea evolved to make the Seagraves the last resting place for Crosbyton Volunteer Firefighters between the church and the cemetery, carrying the coffin in the back. Contacting the two men who have done the restoration work, they have a plan for redwood benches and a system for sliding a casket between the benches for casket transportation. Thus, the Upgrade the Preserved Seagraves project is our next step for which we are seeking help!