In Charlotte This Weekend – Concord’s 1887 Ladder Wagon

The Concord Fire Department will display a restored hand-drawn ladder wagon this weekend, at the Pennzoil Charlotte AutoFair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. As this Independent Tribute story (thanks Josh!) by Erin Kidd reports, the 129-year-old wagon was used by the Concord Hook and Ladder Company in 1887.

That was a company of black firefighters who organized that year, and the first formal fire company in the city. The wagon carried wooden ladders, pike poles, and axes. The department acquired the wagon from a local family, and Concord Fire Captain Allen Smith has been restoring the thing for the last two years.

Here’s a nice history of CFD, from their official web site.