Bantam Fire Company Preserves Piece of Its Early History
Photo by Courtesy of Bantam Fire Company
Photo by Courtesy of Bantam Fire Company
Bantam, Conn. — September 2 — A segment of the Bantam Fire Company’s early history has been preserved in a newly unveiled shadow box at the company’s annual dinner.
Firefighter Bob Fischer revealed the display, which includes a gold watch pendant once presented to the Bantam Fire Company decades ago by Jeff Russak, owner of Lawrence Jeffrey Estate Jewelers.
The fire company says the pendant was likely given to member Frederick B. Hotchkiss in the 1920s as a gesture of thanks for donating the company’s first motorized fire engine.
The historical connection aligns with Bantam Fire Company's recorded shift to motorized firefighting. According to the department’s official history, its first piece of equipment was a hand-drawn wagon outfitted with buckets and ladders. In August 1922, the company took delivery of an American LaFrance engine capable of pumping 60 gallons per minute.
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