Lowry Volunteer Fire Department

LFD - slightly before my time

The Lowry Fire Department is an all-volunteer organization. So when the town siren goes off - except at 12 Noon, which is the call to lunch or 10:00 PM, which is the under 16 curfew notice, it means fire. Luckily - as far as I know - no fire call has occurred at exactly noon or 10:00 PM. Originally, the fire equipment consisted solely of an 1889 horse drawn "pumper" pictured above. The later one below is on display in the Pope County Historical Museum in Glenwood, Minnesota.

Editor note: Check out the "F is for Fire Engine" blog posting from the museum that discusses a 1905 "mutual aid" effort by Lowry to the Glenwood Fire Dept. The pumper was loaded on a railroad flatcar and delivered to Lake Minnewaska to pump water to a fire scene on Franklin Ave.

Lowry Pumper

LFD - modern era

When the siren wailed, all the volunteers within hearing range dropped whatever they were doing: that wrench on the oil-pan nut; writing that charge slip at the grocery store; welding that plow share at the blacksmith shop; stringing wire from an electrical pole; delivering milk; taking a deposit at the bank; unloading lumber from a rail car; pumping gas at the Sinclair Station; sitting in the barber chair; or having a cold one at the tavern ... regardless - the siren rules. While most came sprinting from their workplace, others came screaming up to the Town Hall in their pickups, quickly donning their coats and grabbing fire hats and boots. 3 or 4 guys would ride on the back of the fire truck and others would follow in cars. As kids on bikes, chasing the fire truck was great sport. And, at least once a year, usually in the dead of winter, the siren blared in the middle of the night, a jarring experience. Be careful with that wood stove.

This pumper was also the sole piece of fire equipment available when the entire east side of Main Street burned to the ground in 1911. (This is why all the buildings on the east side of Main are brick.) If there was enough hose to reach the fire scene, the pumper remained in the town hall under a funnel venting to a chimney with water fed from the water tank.  This steam powered - later gas powered - engine could pump 1400 gal/min.

The most famous fire in town history was the complete destruction of the Lowry Roller Mill in 1937. This flour milling operation was the most prosperous enterprise in the town, with "Lowry's Best" Flour sold in a multi-state area. Flour dust can be as explosive as gunpowder and it is believed a spark ignited an explosion.

Mill ashes

The mill was not rebuilt.

The scariest fire I ever was involved in fighting was the Svec barn fire. It was in the evening and the barn hayloft was packed full with hay bales. The barn went up like a torch. By the time the fire truck arrived, there was no hope of saving the barn, rather the struggle was to get the animals out - not entirely successful.  But usually, a fire call was for an out of control grass fire. The standard fire fighting equipment for these fires - before Abednego arrived - was a wet gunny sack.

The Chief

When I was a volunteer, my father was the Fire Chief - also a volunteer position. As with anything he took on, he was conscientious and thorough, arranging for numerous training sessions through the State of Minnesota Fire Marshal's office and organizing "practice fires" wherever he could find them.  If someone wanted to get rid of a dilapidated shed or garage, LFD was at your service. Of course, the conditions had to be right, no wind, low humidity, etc etc.  I hate to say this but these were fun, community events, with plenty of spectators. You get your entertainment where you can in a small town.

The biggest training event was the torching of the Molander Apartments. In my youth, this building housed Molander's International Harvester Implement Dealership with apartments on the 2nd level, but in the 70's it had become a hazard.

Molander building control burn

My father had a whimsical sense of humor and a subtle way of imparting knowledge, particularly biblical knowledge. At the time, the department had 3 fire trucks, 2-1940's pumpers and a 4-wheel drive flatbed truck used mainly to fight grass fires. My father named each truck, having a moniker painted on each front fender.  Shadrach, Meschach & Abednego. 

(See photos. Unfortunately, the Lowry Meschach is lost to history, unless someone can come up with a photo.)

Abednego

Shadrach

For the unwashed, here are the relevant verses from Daniel:

 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

Except for the biblical passage Copyright © 2017 Dave Hoplin