Picture Vernon: Same Wall, Different Fire Equipment

VERNON, CT — The latest installment of the Picture Vernon series takes us back to Downtown Rockville in the 1920s.

The wall is the same but the "fire truck" is not. It's a horse-drawn Silsby Steamer, seen in action at a fire in 1923. It was purchased in 1888 for the Fitton Hose Company, whose clubhouse on Prospect Street is still in use.

The Vernon Historical Society tells us that the local volunteer fire department was at the time the largest in the state.

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Picture Vernon is a periodic series featuring images of the town, past and present.