The Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department is proud to announce the return of another piece of our rich history.

The Wirt and Knox hand-pulled hose reel was originally purchased in 1883, after a disastrous fire in town that destroyed 16 houses, Grace Lutheran Church, two businesses, and eight stables. After the fire, the City of Westminster built a new water system and ordered the chemical engine sold and a hose and reel bought. This reel would be the first of five reels to serve the city over the years, with some housed at each end of the city and at the main firehouses. 

The reel was sold in 1922 to the newly formed Parkville Fire Company of Hanover, PA. Most recently, the reel was on display at the Greater Hanover Area Fire Museum. The prior owner, Bruce Yealy, graciously loaned the reel to us during our 200th Anniversary in 2023 to display in our museum. When Mr. Yealy picked up the reel, the last thing we said to him was, “If you ever part with it, let us know.” 

To our surprise, we received correspondence from Mr. Yealy in February. 2026. He said it was available for purchase. He shared his desire for it to return to Westminster, and we could not have agreed more.

Through a recently received grant, the Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department was able to bring this classic piece of firefighting equipment back home to Westminster. It can be seen proudly displayed alongside our 1897 Wirt and Knox hose reel and our 1898 Holloway hose carriage. In addition to this classic hand-drawn apparatus, our museum also proudly displays our 1924 American LaFrance City Service Truck and our 1933 American LaFrance 300 Series fire engine. These and many other items showcasing our deep history can be seen by visiting The Historical Museum of The Westminster Fire Department. Located at our fire station at 28 John Street, Westminster, MD.

The Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department’s next open house featuring the Easter Bunny will be on March 28, 2026, from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. 

Jeff Ausherman
Historian, Life Member