Vigilant Hose Purchases First Tank Truck

December 16, 1949 at the Vigilant Hose Company’s regular monthly meeting the members voted to purchase a 1949 International, 1,000-gallon tank truck. The tanker was a demonstrator and purchased from the American Equipment Company in Mechanicsburg, Pa. for $7,000 and the 1936 Reo Seagrave engine (October 16, 2007 post w/photos). The tanker was the company’s first and made its rounds in the area before heading to Florida. The Vigilant’s sold the rig to Marion Co. 8, Franklin County Pa. and from there it went to WEFR and then to Silver Springs Co. 31 in Cumberland County.

The photo is from microfilm of the News Chronicle, Shippensburg. It is the only image I have found of it as a Vigilant unit. I have better photos of it while in the possession of Marion and WEFR and will post them at a later date. If any one has any photos of it during its stay at Sliver Springs I would like to get a copy.