Palestine Fire Department

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Palestine Fire Department. Now, Palestine was founded in 1846, but it took a railroad to get this town serious about fire. When the International and Great Northern Railroad extended its line to Palestine in 1872, the city acquired a fire department along with it.

Think about that pairing for a second. Locomotives, sparks, and timber-frame buildings. Yeah.

A fire department starts to sound less like a luxury and more like a necessity. The early rig was a horse-drawn flatbed loaded with hose. Picture those horses pulling hard, the wagon rattling down the street, the whole town watching and hoping they'd make it in time.

That was the state of things for a good long while. Then 1918 rolled around, and Palestine stepped into a new era. The motor truck came in, and city water came with it.

No more depending entirely on what you could haul on a flatbed. And that bell out front, the one hanging there for anyone passing by to see? That bell dates to 1895.

It has heard things. It has rung things into motion that people would rather forget. It stood through the horse-drawn days, through the changeover, through all of it.

Some towns mark their history with plaques. Palestine marks part of hers with a bell that still hangs right out front, doing what bells do best. Remembering.

What the marker says

Palestine, founded 1846, acquired fire department when International & Great Northern Railroad extended line here in 1872. Early fire-wagon was horse-drawn flatbed loaded with hose. Motor truck and city water were introduced 1918. Bell from 1895 hangs in front. (1972)