Kim Schmidt, left, holds a photo of her husband, Donald Schmidt, a retired Eastpointe Fire Department captain, as he drives the fire truck in a Memorial Day parade.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Eastpointe’s first-ever fire truck — a 1921 Model T — had 20 horsepower and weighed 1,439 pounds.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

DETROIT — Anyone who visits the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum in Detroit will see an important piece of Eastpointe history.

Eastpointe’s first-ever fire truck is among the many antique vehicles on display. The 1921 Ford Model T was purchased a little more than 100 years ago when Eastpointe was known as Erin Township.

A group of business owners pooled their money to buy the chemical fire truck. They were concerned about fires as the township grew and felt the horse and

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