The "And...You Thought REO Speedwagon Was A Band!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story about a 1938 REO Speed Wagon firetruck named "Harvey."  It was back in the early 1980s when a fellow named William Stirk rescued and began to restore "Harvey."  The firetruck was originally commissioned by the Bainbridge Fire Company.  The story I was reading was being told by Patti Stirk who was a high school student when her dad William began to restore the firetruck.  The restoration wasn't a big deal for Patti, but for her dad it was.  He had a love of cars and he finally finished the restoration in 1982.  

"Harvey" the 1938 REO Speedwagon Firetruck with owner William Stirk

"Harvey" was entered in car shows and won many ribbons. But, the main mission of "Harvey" the firetruck was to haul the grandkids and their friends all over town while ringing the firebell.  Patti's father died in 1998 and his friends began helping Patti's mother find a buyer for "Harvey."  Before long, a lawyer in West Virginia offered to buy "Harvey" and he was sold.  Not long before Patti's family found out that "Harvey" had found a home in a museum.  Now, this isn't just your ordinary hobbyist, fire history-type museum.  It was the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, Michigan.  According to Patti, it is a jaw-dropping museum.  It is one of the finest auto museums in the world.  Hundreds of world-class vehicles tell the story of Mr. R.E. Olds and his museum.  

"Harvey's" new home at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museu,

When Patti and her family finally arrived at the museum, they told the museum staff that "Harvey" used to be a member of their family.  The staff graciously allowed the family to step behind the restraining ropes to take photographs of the last resting place of "Harvey," her dad's legacy.  The museum director complimented her father for doing such a good job on "Harvey," since the firetruck was always easy to start and ran great.  And, when they opened the running board compartment to show them inside, there was her father's insulated lunch bag..  

Another view of "Harvey" the fire truck.

The entire family thanked the museum's owners for giving "Harvey" such a nice final resting place.  Her dad would have loved it.  Now...a bit more about Patti Stirk.  She grew up in Terre Hill which is located in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania's Route 897 is the borough's Main Street.  Her father was a civic leader in Terre Hill and served both as the borough's Mayor as well as Fire Chief.  As far as Mr. Ransom Eli Olds, he was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, after whom the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named.  He claimed to have built his first steam car as early as 1887 and his first gasoline-powered car in 1896.  The modern assembly line and its basic concept is credited to Mr. Olds, who used it to build the first mass-produced automobile, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, beginning in 1901.  He was married to Metta Ursula Woodward and lived in Lansing, Michigan.  In 1916 he purchased 37,547 acres of land by the northern part of Tampa Bay, Florida and developed the area into what is now the city of Oldsmar.  He traded his land for the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida in 1926.  He died on August 26, 1950.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.