“The Carmel Fire Department had no firefighting equipment in 1915. The buckets and Rex Fire extinguishers were not match for the fire threat of a growing community.


The Buckeye Manufacturing Co. of Anderson, IN was contracted by the Howe Fire Apparatus Sales Co. to build the gasoline powered, horse drawn, pumping engine for the Carmel Fire Department.


The Buckeye was delivered to Carmel, NY on December 29, 1915. It was put to the test by Mr. P.G. Howe himself and accepted by the commissioners who paid $4,122.80 (approximately $106,460.76 in 2020 )

The celebrated Howe Triple Piston Pump has a capacity of 350 gmp. It is driven by a 40 hp Rutenburg, 4 cylinder, gasoline motor. The first test was through 1,000 ft. of 2 1/2 inch hose with a 1 1/8 inch nozzle. The stream was thrown 135 feet horizontally, discharging 160 gpm at 150 lbs. pressure. ”