Old Betsy’s Story

Old Betsy is a Type 75 Triple Combination Pumper. She arrived in Moore Haven, Florida, on September 9, 1926, to begin work fighting fires in that town on the shores of Lake Okeechobee. However, things changed on September 18, 1926, when the Great Miami Hurricane came through. The simple mud dike that was around the lake broke, and Moore Haven was flooded with about 15 feet of water, including Old Betsy. The town was struggling to survive in many ways, including financially, and so they sold the truck to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE). The BLE relocated Old Betsy to Venice on November 4, 1926. She was the town’s first fire truck and the only fire truck in town until 1949.  When the Army decommissioned the Venice Army Air Base, it gave the city two trucks that joined in protecting the city.

In the late 1960s, Old Betsy was retired—but only where firefighting was concerned. She began a second career as an ambassador for the City of Venice. She entered contests at fire truck competitions and even won a few. Years ago, she started leading the Venice Lions Club Halloween Parade. She has been in parades in Ft Myers, St Petersburg, Sarasota, Bradenton and, of course, Venice, to name a few. Her favorite parade is the Venice holiday parade, which began in 1976. She started out carrying Santa Claus and a few children who came down to the avenue, and later, as the parade grew, carried dignitaries and local councilpersons. Lately, she has been a participant in the annual Parade of Champions, honoring Venice High School sports winners.

She has had a little work done from time to time, all thanks to several former fire chiefs as well as Glenn Stephens, Gaylord George, and Earl Midlam. In 2012, Old Betsy had the makeover of a lifetime. She was sent to Daytona Beach, where a corporation named PRIDE totally re-made her.

Today, the City of Venice and Venice Heritage, Inc., are raising funds to construct the Old Betsy Museum on the Cultural Campus.  This building will place Old Betsy on display 24/7, so people won’t have to wait for an event to see her.