Firefighters in Brockton are stepping forward to safeguard a profound artifact of local history, rallying community members to help restore a century-old fire truck linked to the department's most tragic call. Brockton Firefighters Local 144 is leading the initiative to refurbish a 1924 Seagrave engine that served on the front lines during the devastating 1941 Strand Theatre fire.
To fund the intensive preservation project, the union will host its second annual Seagrave Restoration Cruise Night Car and Bike Show. The benefit event is scheduled to take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Brockton Fairgrounds located on Belmont Street, with a scheduled rain date for Sunday, Sept. 13.
The community gathering offers a day of family entertainment and automotive appreciation, showcasing a broad spectrum of classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Organizers emphasize that the event welcomes all makes and models, encouraging local vehicle enthusiasts across the region to participate and support the historical cause.
Vehicle owners who wish to display their automobiles or bikes will have the opportunity to compete for honors in a Best in Show contest, which carries a suggested donation of $10 per entry. Spectators will receive free admission to the fairgrounds, though organizers are actively welcoming public contributions to support the restoration budget.
Beyond viewing the vehicle lineup, attendees can take part in a traditional "Fill the Boot" collection drive, enter various raffles, and listen to music throughout the afternoon. A selection of local food vendors will also be on-site, including Lady C&J Soul Food and Catering along with E's Ice Cream, providing meals and refreshments for visitors.
For the members of the department, the effort to preserve the vintage apparatus extends far beyond antique vehicle restoration. Capt. Stephen McLean of the Brockton Fire Department’s Squad A, Station 1, who serves on the restoration committee, noted that the vehicle serves as a direct, tangible memorial to the emergency personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice decades ago.
Capt. McLean stressed the immense emotional and historical weight carried by the apparatus, explaining that the truck directly responded to the Strand Theatre blaze and that all four firefighters assigned to the vehicle lost their lives in the disaster. Preserving the physical apparatus ensures that their dedication remains honored and remembered by future generations.
The incident that defined the truck's history occurred more than eight decades ago. On the evening of Sunday, March 9, 1941, moviegoers gathered inside the Strand Theatre at the intersection of Main and School streets to watch a cinematic double feature of "Secret Evidence" and "Hoosier School Boy," starring Mickey Rooney.
Hours after the final film screening concluded, a theater custodian discovered an active fire burning within the basement and directed an assistant to pull the municipal fire alarm. The Brockton Fire Department logged the initial box alarm at 12:38 a.m. on March 10, immediately dispatching initial crews to the downtown location.
While the fire initially appeared manageable upon arrival, the interior conditions deteriorated with alarming speed as flames spread through the structure. Fire commanders quickly transmitted a second alarm followed by a general alarm, but the emergency turned catastrophic when the building's roof suffered an overnight collapse, killing 13 firefighters who were trapped inside.
The engine itself boasts a lengthy history of service preceding the disaster. Manufactured in Columbus, Ohio, the 1924 Seagrave piece of apparatus originally entered active duty for the city of Brockton on Nov. 3, 1924, functioning as a vital part of the city's early motorized firefighting fleet.
Following decades of municipal service, the Squad A engine was officially retired from active duty in 1948. The city sold the apparatus at an auction to a farmer located in New Hampshire, where it remained out of public view for more than thirty years.
In 1980, the vehicle changed hands again when it was acquired by Bruce Eaton. Eaton transferred the vintage fire truck to the Tuxbury Pond Campground in Southampton, New Hampshire, keeping the piece of firefighting history stored on the property for decades.
The truck’s journey back to Brockton began in 2019, when Dave Feyler, a firefighter from Billerica and an avid collector of antique emergency apparatus, purchased the engine from the Eaton family. Sensing the historical importance of the machine, Feyler initiated extensive archival research to uncover its exact origins.
Working in close collaboration with retired Brockton Fire Chief Kenneth Galligan, Feyler successfully cross-referenced and verified the serial numbers stamped on the frame. The investigation confirmed beyond doubt that the vehicle was the original Squad A engine that responded to the Strand Theatre fire in 1941.
Following that definitive identification, Brockton Firefighters Local 144 stepped in to acquire the historic vehicle and launched a comprehensive campaign to return the engine to its former condition. Union officials hope the upcoming cruise night will bring the community together to fund the final stages of the restoration, ensuring the engine stands as a permanent tribute to the city's fallen heroes.
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