1924 American LaFrance Fire Engine
The firefighting apparatus displayed is a 1924 American LaFrance Type 75 triple combination pumper, chemical tank and hose car. Manufactured by the American LaFrance Company of Elmira, New York, it was delivered to the Corinth Fire Department by rail in March 1925, and has been owned by the Department since then. It was retired from active service circa 1960.
This unit is a 750 gallons per minute pumper. The suction side of the rotary pump, located beneath the driver's seat and powered by a takeoff from the truck's massive 6-cylinder, 884 cubic inch displacement engine, was connected to a source of water, preferably a fire hydrant but perhaps a pond or any other source of water. The suction hoses are seen in the photo at left. The discharge side of the pump was connected to fire hoses used to fight fire.
The truck was propelled by a chain-and-sprocket drive turning the rear wheels. It has drum brakes on the rear axle, but no brakes on the front. Its maximum speed was approximately 45 miles per hour
(caption) Unidentified men refuel Corinth Fire Department's Unit No. 1, Circa 1925. Photo Courtesy Mississippi Department of Archives and History
The Great Fire of 1924
The mural behind the fire engine is an artist's concept of the scene during the catastrophic fire of December 28, 1924, which destroyed an entire block of Corinth's downtown business district, including the four-story Opera House. The interior of the Post Office (now Farmers and Merchants) was also gutted by the fire but was later rebuilt. The view depicted by the mural is of Waldron Street looking west from a vantage point in front of the courthouse. The statue of Colonel Rogers, shown in its original position in the intersection with Franklin Street, was relocated after the fire to its present site on the courthouse lawn.
The mural was created by artist Victor Moore of Henderson, Tennessee and funded by a grant from Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. . This historical marker is in Corinth in Alcorn County Mississippi