History Comes Around Again
Estes Donates Vintage Fire Helmet To Meredith Department
MEREDITH — A vintage fire helmet bearing the number 3 has made its way back to the Meredith Fire Department with Dan Estes’ donation of the rare artifact on May 12.
Estes, operator of Estes Auction Gallery, purchased the helmet for $1,000 about five years ago from another Meredith business owner, the late Paul Hough, of Waukewan Antiques.
“I’ve been into antiques, and I obviously like local stuff,” Estes said. “Paul was a good friend of mine, and the helmet, they’re unusual to find, helmets like that. Then it was a local thing, so I’m like, I like this one.”
Now that Estes is getting ready to leave the area — “possibly moving to Florida” — he said, “I figured it’s from Meredith, and I figured I’d just donate it to the fire department.”
Standing in front of the antique Wamesit 3 pumper on display at the fire museum, Fire Chief Ken Jones said the department already has eight matching helmets in its collection, each bearing the number 3 to indicate its relationship to the pumper.
