|
 "Old Ironsides" is a
reference to the hand-painted logo on the cab of Engine 2 as it appears
now. In local Massachusetts' history, "Old Ironsides" was
originally the nickname for the U.S.S. Constitution, a ship used in the
many sea battles protecting a young United States nation. Although her
hull was made of wood, the nickname of "Old Ironsides" was
coined when a British cannonball bounced off her wooden hull during the
War of 1812 like her sides were made of iron - hence the nickname.
The hand painted logo was not original to the
truck, but rather was added in 1976. The firefighters in Wareham chose
to celebrate the Nations Bicentennial in 1976 by adorning their
apparatus with different logos based on themes of
"Independence." Small murals were added to at least four of
the Maxims in the Wareham fleet - Engine 2 (1946), Engine 3 (1950),
Ladder 1 (1955) and Engine 4 (1969). The murals were hand painted by a
skillful (now retired) Fire Captain Charles Rowley.
As worn as it is (just like the old girl herself),
the "Old Ironsides" logo will remain with this truck, through
any restorations as a part of her history and an appropriate testament
to the toughness and durability of the old Maxims (and all old trucks
in general.)
|
