Indian Head Walking Tour Brochure & Map.pdf - Tourism ...

39. 610 Otterloo:
Indian Head Museum
Officially opened in June of 1980, the operation of
the museum is overseen by a volunteer board, with
assistance from members, residents and the Town of
Indian Head. The museum is open during the summer
months. It has three main buildings.
The Fire Hall
This building was built as a fire hall in 1907. At that
time, the Indian Head water supply came from Squirrel
Hills, through wooden water lines, built in 1906.
The first fire chief was Dan McKenzie. The fire brigade
consisted of volunteers, some actually living on the
second floor.
The fire wagon was pulled by horses, which did double
duty as town work horses. Hec Blair wrote the following: “It
mattered not where they were working, if the fire bell rang
they would be off to the fire hall and someone would pull the
harness off them because the harness for the fire wagon was
hung on hooks and when the doors were sprung open from
the stable, no one wanted to be in the way or they would get
walked over. The horses would back under the harness and
someone would snap the collars shut and attach the lines and
by this time the men would be on the wagon and the driver
would pull the rope and the doors would spring open and the
team would be on the dead run in about three strides.”
Since the fire hall was one of the most secure buildings
in town, the basement also held two jail cells, used until the
1960s. The building functioned as a fire hall until 1977. TG
+ DT + LK
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