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The Stutz Fire Engine Company of Indianapolis, IN was founded in 1919 by Harry C. Stutz and Harry Campbell. With a reputation for quality, serviceability, and durability, Stutz fire engines sold well around the nation, especially in their home city of Indianapolis.
The 1921 IFD Stutz Pumper was built as a 600 GPM Triple Combination Pumper Model B with a 6-cylinder Wisconsin engine. It was delivered to the City of Indianapolis Fire Department in 1921 and assigned to Station No. 25, ending the era of horse-drawn apparatus at Irvington Fire Station.
In 1929, Station No. 25 received a new Stutz pumper, replacing the 1921 Stutz and placing it in reserve. However, in 1943, the unit was completely rebuilt by the Indianapolis Fire Department Shop. The reconstruction process was common throughout and after the Great Depression, and the IFD firefighters fondly called them Shop-Builts. This Shop-Built Stutz saw a total engine replacement as well as new fenders, headlamps, running boards, front hood, rear axles, gasoline tank, and back step.
After this transformation, the Stutz was stationed at Indianapolis Fire Department Station No. 20, but was shortly retired to the IFD Shop in 1952. In 1969, the unit was sold to Dave Buehler of Jasper, Indiana. 47 years later, in 2016, the pumper found its home inside the Koorsen Fire Museum.
