The 1840 Joel Bates “America” Fire Engine

In 2019, after several years of detective work and assisted by Josiah Wagner and Bill Ward, Allentown firefighter Jeremy Bellois contacted the Kutztown Area Historical Society.  He had located, in the collection of Sutton “Sut” Marshall of Conway, New Hampshire, the “lost” 1840 Joel Bates “America” hand pumper that had been purchased by Kutztown’s Borough Council in the mid-19th century.  The pumper was previously housed in the borough or surrounding vicinity for more than 125 years.  Since then, the society, in conjunction with Kutztown Fire Company No. 1, has researched the pumper’s history and organized a fund-raising campaign to return the pumper to eastern Pennsylvania. Through many generous donations of the community members, the pumper has been successfully purchased by the Kutztown Historical Society and moved back to Kutztown in May 2022.
​Thank you to all who donated!

For a full history of the 1840 Joel Bates "America" Fire Engine click here