No love for Howe Fire Apparatus?

[Aaronw]

Warning rambling stream of consciousness follows, not really a rant more an open question.

 

 

So like many here I have a respectable library of books on fire apparatus and it struck me recently that there appears to be little published evidence of the Howe Fire Apparatus company.

 

This strikes me as odd because it was a fairly significant builder of fire apparatus. Howe had a long history beginning in the hand pumper era, won sizable contracts in WW2 and seems to have been ubiquitous in smaller communities across the US until being absorbed by Grumman in the 1980s.

 

I have what appears to be the only published work on Howe, a 1984 The Visiting Fireman 5.5x8.5" 80 page booklet, Howe Fire Apparatus Photo Album. Lots of nice (if small) photos, but not much information.


 

I realize that these book projects are largely a labor of love for the author, so what gets done is due to someone with a passion for the particular subject, contacts with photographers / historians and the drive to write a book.

 

 

Also understand that commercial apparatus don't have the same appeal as the custom rigs, although that hasn't stopped books on Darley, Oren, Tasc, Grumman and other largely commercial based builders from getting their 15 minutes of fame.

 

 

 

Am I missing something with Howe?

 

Is there something in the works I am not aware of?

 

Is there another book available out there besides the small one by The Visiting Fireman? I've seen reference to a Howe History 1872-1972 but it is either very rare or is one of those books that got a title but failed to actually appear.

 

 

 

For the moment lacking a more scholarly work, I'd welcome whatever history people want to share. There doesn't seem to be much out there. Walter McCall sums up Howe with a couple of pages in his Encyclopedia of American Fire Engine Manufacturers.

 

 

I've done a search and these doesn't appear to be a thread on Howe Fire Apparatus. I have nothing to start such a thread with but would certainly spend some time looking at one if someone were to take this as a request.

[ACPD227]

I agree with you. But like you said most book projects are a labor of love. Howe produced alot of rigs but id say most were small orders like 1 rig here 1 rig their. They were not in many large departments at the time. With that said they did build for several large departments though. Back when they were still building departments were not as big as today. Id love to see a book because many departments where i live had alot of Howe trucks.