November Sycamore History Museum Brown Bag Lunch, “History of the Stuz Fire Truck”

In 2001 a group of current and former Sycamore Firefighters met to promote the history of the Sycamore Fire Department and to purchase the 1923 Stutz fire truck, Sycamore’s first motorized fire pumper truck. On Thursday, November 3 Gene Ege will share “The History of the Stuz Fire Truck” as part of the Sycamore History Museum’s Brown Bag lunch program.

Gene Ege will discuss this important piece of Sycamore’s history, and how the community supported this preservation project. The Stuz was purchased in 1923 and its first call was on November 1923. After being purchased by four additional owners and being moved out of state, the Stuz finally made its way back to Sycamore in August 2001. The Stuz has now been beautifully restored due to the dedication of the Sycamore Fire Preservation Company.

“We are excited to have Gene talk about this great example of the community coming together to save this artifact from Sycamore’s past,” explained Michelle Donahoe, Executive Director of the Sycamore History Museum. She continued, “We even included a panel about this project in our award winning exhibit, ‘Faces of Sycamore’ because we wanted to provide visitors with an opportunity to make a difference, and the work of the Sycamore Fire Preservation Co. demonstrates one way for residents to understand Sycamore’s tradition and history.”

The “History of the Stuz Fire Truck” talk will be held at the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s Freight Room, 475 DeKalb Ave on Thursday, November 3 at 12:00. The program is free and open to the public, donations are welcome. For more information about the program or “Faces of Sycamore” exhibit, please call 815-895-5762 or visit sycamorehistory.org.