by Dustin Brown
In 1928 the Citizens of Slaton purchased a Type 112 American LaFrance fire engine for the fire department. During the engines years serving the Citizens of Slaton there were many members of the volunteer fire department. Several were from my own family including my great grandfather, great uncle, and numerous other uncles and cousins. The engine was in Slaton until around 1965-1970 (an exact date is not known). That is when the truck was sold or donated for another cause. In early August 2015 a gentleman from Pyote, Texas called the Slaton Fire Department in regards to one of 4 pieces of fire apparatus that were found in a barn. The 1928 ALF was the truck in question. A week later I loaded up Amanda Brown and the kids and we made the 3 hour drive to see this piece of Slaton’s history. This past Tuesday, After 45-50 years (plus or minus a couple) I had the privilege of bringing the fire engine home. If anyone has any information, stories, pictures, or video of this engine in the old days please let me know. We are trying to put together a scrap book and have the documentation to restore the truck to its original state. My email address is d.brown1919@yahoo.com
