Who doesn’t love fire engines? The Union County Museum Society is going off-site in August for their Third Tuesday event, when the group meets at the Eastern Oregon Fire Museum & Learning Center, 102 Elm Street in La Grande. The evening is free and open to the public.
La Grande Fire Chief Emmitt Cornford and some of his crew will be on hand to show people around, tell stories about some of the notorious La Grande area fires and remind residents of the service and treasure to the community the fire museum collection represents.
“We will close Elm Street so we have room to bring out some of the current and vintage fire apparatus,” said Cornford. “There will be static displays and photo opportunities, as well as refreshments, photo opportunities for the kids and the opportunity to see the equipment up close.” The Union County Museum plans to bring its own antique engine to the event, as well.
The Eastern Oregon Fire Museum & Learning Center opened around 2002, fulfilling a dream of volunteer firefighter Don Keeling and others who had helped get the 1924 Stutz engine restored. The collection of restored engines and other vintage trucks and apparatus grew to fill most of the ground floor of the former fire station and professional exhibits were installed to tell the stories of La Grande’s most famous fires.
After two renters moved out of the adjacent and upstairs office spaces, the fire museum had to close. An opportunity to fill part of the space with a thriving business that could keep an eye on the exhibits came along in 2016, when Side A Brewing was established. Owners of the brewery keep the exhibit space clean while giving their patrons and other visitors the chance to see the Stutz and Hot Lake engines and a few exhibits. The partnership has kept the fire museum in place and ready for its next phase. Learn about plans at the Third Tuesday event.
Event Agenda:
Introductions
Fire Museum’s history by Emmitt Cornford, La Grande Fire Chief
Tour of museum
- Pictures and stories of memorable fires
- Demonstration of firefighter gear, then and now
- Fire Trucks
- Refreshments
- Q & A
- Fire fighter swag for kids
The Third Tuesday event takes place August 20, at 7 p.m., at the old La Grande fire station, where the fire museum shares the building and the Washington Street entrance with Side A Brewing.
Please contact Anne, 541-963-8128, if you have questions or to submit a proposal for your own presentation, contact the museum at history@ucmuseumoregon.com.