According to records from the office of American LaFrance, the Hoquiam, Washington Fire Department Engine 2 bought a 1907 two-piston, two-horse, Metro fire steam engine for $5,400. The purchase date was August 6, 1907.
This steam engine, or “steamer,” was specifically built for the Hoquiam Fire Department and was customized to withstand saltwater from Grays Harbor, where the City of Hoquiam is located, by lining the water tubes and valves with copper. Hoquiam used the steamer until April 19, 1913, when they purchased a motorized engine. The steamer was taken to St. Johns, Oregon and was owned by the Long & Scott Company. Alexander G. Long and Eugene Scott founded the company around 1890, which specialized in firefighting apparatus. They also produced fire hydrants for the City of Portland during the early days of the municipal water system. The company changed its name to A.G. Long around 1894, and by 1915 claimed to have “the largest and oldest fire department supply house west of New York.”
A.G. Long loaned the steamer to Corvallis Fire Department around October of 1915 on the condition that they properly house and care for it. Unfortunately, that proved difficult, and it was stored outside for much of the time. Finally, a citizen named Walter Kline allowed the department to store the steamer in his warehouse. During that time, A.G. Long’s son was a student at Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University). He noticed that Corvallis Fire Department was not taking the necessary steps to make the steamer a permanent part of the department and arranged for Albany Fire Department to purchase it.
The steamer was moved to Albany on December 29, 1915, on the steamboat Grahamona. The Albany Fire Department needed a new steam engine because one of its Clapp & Jones steamers needed significant repair work costing over $1,000 (more than $28,000 in 2023 dollars). The Department determined it would be better to purchase the LaFrance steamer instead. It was put through several tests and according to an article in the Albany Democrat dated January 4, 1916, the steamer passed the tests and Fire Chief William A. Eastburn and the city council were satisfied with its performance. On January 27, 1916, an article in the Albany Daily Democrat reported that the city council approved purchasing the steamer for $1,500.
After many years of use and then storage, the steamer was restored in the early 1970s with the help of a local steam enthusiasts’ group. This made it possible to take the steamer to San Francisco in 1976 to participate in a 70-year anniversary muster tournament. It was the only steamer that pumped during that event. As of 2023 the steamer remained in the possession of the Albany Fire Department along with other antique fire apparatus.
