STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza used a portion of this week’s Mayors Monday to shine a light on a group of residents looking to restore a piece of the city’s history.
“[Local businessman] Nick Summers had acquired the original 1917 LaFrance Fire Pump truck with the Stevens Point Fire Department [decal] still on it,” said Wiza. “Now they are looking to restore it.”
Wiza says the truck, which is a rare model to begin with, is largely intact but is missing part of the pump apparatus on the back. So some residents put the word out online to try to find one of the parts to complete the truck. “We found a guy in Colorado that has a pump off of one of these trucks. It turns out that this man acquired it years ago and traced it back to a UW auction. As in, University of Wisconsin.
“It seems very logical that UWSP maybe took the pump and repurposed it for a while, then when they were done with it sent it on to somewhere else. It’s very likely that the original pump is going to be back on that fire truck,” added Wiza.
The goal is to get the truck back in working order so it can be a part of classic car shows and parades in Central Wisconsin while also being displayed in Stevens Point at the historical society. As of now, the restoration job is being privately financed, but Wiza is hopeful that they can organize some community fundraisers to help the cause.
More information on those fundraisers will be announced as they become available.
Other topics Wiza discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of Video: Mayor’s recent trip to Greece
2:30- Firetruck restoration
7:10- Hmong Week
10:30- Parks updates
