Notes from the Paynesville Historical Society. . . By Connie Williams We have a brand new addition to our artifact family at the museum. It is a gem. It is a 1926 fire truck. We received it from the Paynesville Fire Department. The truck is in running order and the fire department reserves the right to still drive it in parades. Legend has it that the Paynesville Fire Department originated in North Town. The story goes that in 1906 some residents from New Paynesville sneaked into North Town and stole the hose cart. The department has been located in Paynesville ever since. The hose cart was first hand drawn and later modified to be horse drawn. The first motorized fire truck was bought from W.S. Knott Company of Minneapolis. It was a REO-Speed Wagon. They replaced the solid rubber tires with pneumatic tires purchased from the Al Drakenberg garage. The truck was equipped with a 500- gallon per minute pump, a 500-gallon booster tank, hose, ladders, and axes. Don"t let the summer go by without bringing the kids in to see this wonderful old truck. I would like people to know that we have files in our museum open to the public for research. Come in any time during our open hours and spend as much time as you like. We have tables for you to sit at to study, read, or just look at old pictures. Speaking of old pictures, we have many old pictures of people who have not ever been identified. Perhaps you know someone who would enjoy an afternoon of looking through these dated photos. Just maybe they can identify someone. Most of the pictures are from the Paynesville area. We have a $2 admission charge at the museum and $5 per family. The museum is a nonprofit organization. It functions only on grants, admission, and your donations.