The Unofficial Webiste of the North Little Rock, AR
FIRE DEPARTMENT
FORMER FIRE STATIONS IN
North Little Rock (Argenta), AR

 

PHOTOS OF OLD ORIGINAL CENTRAL STATION
AT 506 MAIN STREET - NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR
A COMPLETE RENNOVATION IS ALMOST FINISHED!

Hose Wagons 1 and 2 - ARGENTA FIRE DEPARTMENT CIRCA 1907
(Photo Courtesy N.L.R.F.D.)
This has to be one of the best and oldest surviving pictures of what the very early Argenta F.D. was
like. "City of Argenta" is proudly displayed at the top of the second story of this fine old building.
The bell and its tower are clearly visible. This was City Hall and the Fire Dept. until 1915, when the
current City Hall opened. This building is now completely rebuilt. What a great piece of history was saved!
The plans that I have seen show that an "engine room" for a fire truck will face outward to main street.
One has to wonder who the boy and his dog were. If you know of any old NLRFD apparatus which is sitting in
a barn, or behind a house, please contact me at leeclark01@yahoo.com

(Photo courtesy of the NLR History Commission- Sandra Taylor Smith, Director)
Another Photo of The Original NLR Central Station at 506 Main. Central Station was here until the
present Central Station was built in 1961. This building still stands today - completely refurbished!

(Photo Courtesy of Mr. Jim Henry - Thanks!)
Old Central Station with a motorized apparatus inside. Note that the door was still for a single truck only.

Mr. Henry tells me that he and his dad both worked at Owens Funeral Home. The gentleman in the center
of the photo in the business suit was Mr. Robert Travis Owens, who owned the funeral home.

Jim Dancy (retired NLRFD Captain) identified the men in the picture as: "The Picture is from L - R Tom Crumley, Gaston McClain, Frank Neeley, Mr Robert T. Owens, John Neal, Raymond Nichols, August H. Dancy,& Chief Tom "Red " Welch.. It was Made at the front of the old Central Station 506 Main N. L. R. "

The fire engine parked just inside the station is most likely the '25 Seagrave. I blew the photo up about 5 times
normal, and ends of hard suction hoses are visible on the right. Also, the radiator ornament is a close match to
what another picture of the old Seagrave shows. If you have any information about this photo or the people
pictured, please e_mail me at:leeclark01@yahoo.com

Another view of Old Central sometime during or shortly after 1925. This is the '25 right-hand drive Seagrave. It cost $13,000 new from the factory.

(Thanks to Mr. Thomas Riley for Permission to use this historic photo!)
A View of Old Central Station Circa 1955.
This is "Central" as I remember it as a small boy. The old Seagrave Ladder Truck was always parked next
to the wall where the Captain could barely get in the truck. The pumper was either the '51 or '55 Seagrave.
The front bumper resembles the '55 most. The bell that was on the '55 can not be seen, however. Any guesses?

 

PHOTOS OF STATION 2 - EAST BROADWAY
Note: There have been three Former NLRFD Stations Designated as Station 2 on East Broadway.

ORIGINAL STATION 2 AT 2301 EAST BROADWAY Photo Needed!
This was a building that was leased from an individual.
Station 2 at 2300 East Broadway - Photo Needed. Photo may be view
in the Arkansas Democrat microfilm in October, 1954. This building
looked like an old repair garage, etc. that was converted to a fire station.

(Photo by Lee Clark)
OLD STATION 2 AT 2306 EAST BROADWAY
This Station 2 opened in 1955. The original idea was for two pumpers, or a pumper and
a ladder company to operate out of this fire station, since there was so much heavy
industry in the area at the time. Two fire trucks were here most of the time,
but one was a manned company and the other was a standby assigned here. This
Station 2 closed in 1992. Much of the industry in NLR had moved westward by then.
PHOTOS OF ORIGINAL NORTH LITTLE ROCK FIRE STATION AT 15TH AND PIKE


.............................(Photo Courtesy of NLRFD - Joe Mc Call, Chief)
The Original NLR Fire Station at 15th and Pike. This was the SECOND NLR Fire Station
to open. It was closed for a while, and then reopened in late 1925, when the above photo
was taken. The apparatus is a 1925 Dodge/Foamite-Childs.
PHOTO OF FORMER STATION 3 - 15th and PIKE

(Photo by Lee Clark)
This Station 3 was built in 1941 and replaced the original Station on this site.
This Station was torn down in the late 1980's. Station 3 was then moved
a few blocks east on 15th to 15th and Schaer.
ORIGINAL N.L.R.F.D. STATION 4 AT EAST BROADWAY AND LYNCH - CONSTRUCTED 1949; CLOSED IN 1992
(Photo by Lee Clark)
This is The Original Station 4 in Rose City. It opened in 1949.
This station was closed as a Fire Station in 1992.
ORIGINAL N.L.R.F.D. FIRE STATION NO. 6

Thanks to Jim Roberts for providing this photo and thanks to Tom Malone for granting permission to use it.
NLRFD Captain (Ret.) James Dancy identifies the people in the photo as: Fred Malone (in driver's seat), his son
Tommy with him. John Neal is standing in front and R.J. "Doc" Goss is behind him. Capt Dancy noted the Captain's
Insignia on "Doc" Goss's hat, along with the gold band of a Captain. This pumper was a borrowed (evidently) Corps of
Engineers Pumper (note the insignia on the hood). NLR had to first borrow a pumper from Camp Robinson, and later
one from the Corps of Engineers to staff the Levy Station, until the 1947 American La France Pumpers were purchased.
ORIGINAL N.L.R.F.D. STATION 8 CONSTRUCTED 1961;
CLOSED AS A FIRE STATION IN 2002


(Photo by Lee Clark)
The Original NLR Fire Station #8, which opened in 1962. The pumper is the 1959
American La France, which had just received a new paint job in 1982 or '83.
Notice what is occupying the closed bay. The 1946 Seagrave Aerial was in reserve
(It never had an official number as a reserve as far as I knew.)

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