It's a fairy tale ending to a 1939 Ford Bickle used by the Point Edward Fire Department almost 80 years ago.
The fire truck had been owned for several years by Detroit area resident Charles Liles who took it to different community events and parades including the July 4 celebrations in Frankenmuth.
Former Fire Chief Ron Sparling would talk regularly to Liles about getting the truck back to the village.
CEO Jim Burns says the village jumped at the chance to buy the truck when Liles decided to unload it.
"It needs some tender loving care and a little bit of mechanical care," says Burns. "When they went to see it, it fired right up and started up immediately. It runs perfectly. He could drive it to parades and shows and that's our intent, to use it for fire education and fire safety and maybe take it to the Santa Claus and Canada Day parades. We're going to try to get, as close as we can, the original stickers that were on it. The original ladders are still on the truck."
Former Chief Ron Sparling kept in regular contact with Mr. Liles and asked him to keep the village in mind if he ever decided to sell.
And although he could have sold it for much more on the open market, the village bought it back for $3,000.
