The other day, Ben Willcome brought home a piece of Walker history that connects directly to his day job — a 1954 fire engine that may be the city's first.
The truck bears the number "117" on it, but for Willcome, it represents something much more significant: a chance to preserve the community's firefighting heritage.
"We repair anything that the city owns — police cars, fire trucks, DPW, plow trucks," said Willcome, the City of Walker's fleet services supervisor. "I jokingly say, anything from a chainsaw to a fire truck."
When Willcome heard about the vintage engine on Facebook Marketplace, he knew he had to act fast.
"It was listed at one of those prices where I was worried it was going to get scrapped," he said. "So I had to go rescue it and bring it home."
The fire engine was purchased in 1986 by Bill Burke, a former Walker Fire Department chief, when the city retired it from service and sent it to auction. Burke's family listed it for sale after the truck sat in a dusty barn for decades.
According to paperwork that came with the vehicle, Walker Township originally bought the truck in 1954, before becoming a city in 1962.
"My theory is that this is one of the city of Walker's first fire trucks," Willcome said. "I thought that is absolutely appropriate to keep alive."
Restoration won't be easy. The cab has been ravaged by raccoons, the brakes and springs are frozen with rust, and finding original parts presents the biggest challenge. But Willcome and his 9-year-old son have already gotten the engine running — if only for a few seconds.
"The exterior of the truck is pretty dang nice. It just needs a lot of polishing," Willcome said. "I can make a lot run, but it's hard to make it look pretty."
His restoration plans have already impressed his 11-year-old daughter, who typically shows little interest in his previous projects, including Ford trucks and Broncos.
"As soon as I said I was bringing home a fire truck, she just thought it was the coolest thing," he said. "And pre-teens are hard to impress."
Community members are already volunteering to help with the restoration, and Willcome faces his first deadline: he's been challenged to have Engine 117 ready for next year's Memorial Day Parade.
His ultimate goal is to display the restored engine at city functions alongside modern fire trucks, showing residents how far Walker's firefighting capabilities have evolved.
"I want to show kids — who doesn't love fire trucks — this is what the city started with," Willcome said. "And then show them the brand new trucks and equipment that we use nowadays."
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