COUNTY LIFE
By DANI BLACKBURN
After years of neglect, the 1951 Ford Simms fire truck owned by the Bowie Fire Department appears to be nothing but a pile of rust.
However, to local firemen, it is a vital part of their department’s history and they hope to raise the funds needed to bring it back to its former glory.
The Bowie City Council approved the purchase of the truck, affectionately referred to as the ’51 pumper by the current crew, on May 7, 1951. It was bought brand new from Chassis in Wichita Falls for $3,070. Simms Firefighting and Equipment Company, a manufacturer based in San Antonio, converted the truck for $6,000.
The pumper was in service for the department for 25 years and later donated to a fire museum, where it was to be restored and exhibited. However, it was by mere chance the department recovered its truck at the brink of it being junked by that museum and it now hopes to raise funds to restore it for special use. Read the full feature on Pumper ’51 in the weekend News.
Pictured: The rusty remains of Pumper ’51. (Photo by Dani Blackburn)
Pumper ’51 pictured on the right with other vehicles in the fire department fleet back in the 1950s and 1960s. Courtesy photo.
Make plans to come out and honor Bowie High School state tennis champions Heidi and Willow Siebert on Wednesday afternoon.
Members of the Nocona City Council will meet for a regular meeting at 5 p.m. on May 12 in council chambers.
A public hearing on an ordinance annexing adjacent and contiguous territory to the city will be offered. This relates to two small tracts of land at the front and back of the Tales ‘N’ Trails Museum property. It does not involve providing any services, but clarifies the property in the museum’s tract. Any action would follow in the regular agenda.
Mayor and council reports on items of community interest follow along with public comments.
Items slated for the agenda include the following: Discuss bid to mow and weed-eat the Nocona Cemetery; discuss bids to furnish a 180,000-200,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water; three requests from the Nocona Economic Development Corporation – Type A and B boards funding a grant for signage at the American Legion at $2,300, both boards fund a grant for Tales ‘N’ Trails to enclose the east win of the barn for $18,000 and both boards to grant the Chisholm Trail Art Association $2,000 to support the Art of the Song Music Festival Art Show.
Other council topics will be consider repair of the water found at Enid Justin City Park; discuss public nuisance code violations; hear request from David Yowell to purchase water for the Nocona Hills Golf Course; discuss appraised value, setting price and conditions for sealed bids on 19.5 acres of city-owned land adjacent to the Nocona Hills Golf Course; discuss slide on upstream water side of dam and discuss changes to rental agreement for H.J. Justin Community Room.
The majority of these items will be considered for action during the regular agenda following the workshop agenda.
Present for the Bowie Community Development proclamation for National Travel and Tourism Week May 3-9 made by Mayor Gaylynn Burris were volunteers and staff: Matthew Hunt, Cindy Roller, Brittany Barnes, Sylvia Henning, Mildred McCraw, and Joe Barnhill. Community Development focus is on beautification and tourism for the City of Bowie. The group focuses on tourism through its many festival and events, welcoming people to the community. (News photo by Barbara Green)
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