From Central Avenue to the Henry Ford Museum

On June 6, 1906, St. Petersburg celebrated the arrival of its first fire engine, a major milestone for a growing city determined to improve public safety. Ordered by Fire Committee chairman Edward T. Lewis and built by the American LaFrance Company, the new Cosmopolitan steam pumper was assembled locally after its arrival and quickly became a source of civic pride.

The hand-drawn engine represented the height of steam-powered firefighting technology. Fueled by coal and equipped with a vertical boiler and piston pump, it could deliver two streams of water at a combined rate of up to 250 gallons per minute. Although horse-drawn and gasoline-powered apparatus were becoming more common elsewhere, steam engines remained trusted firefighting tools in communities across America during this transitional era.

To support the city’s growing fire service, officials installed a fire bell atop City Hall and provided sleeping quarters for firefighters on duty. The new engine helped lay the foundation for organized fire protection in St. Petersburg.

In February 1935, the historic pumper was transferred to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, where it remains preserved today as a reminder of the city’s early commitment to public safety and progress.