NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For nearly 70 years, something has been part of the Spring Hill, Tennessee community. The hope is the story can continue for a long time to come. That’s going to take a community pulling together, but they’re having a little fun in the process.
A softball game started up in Spring Hill. It was Spring Hill Police Department vs. Spring Hill Fire Department.
“You rooting for one of these teams?” I asked a man running a concession stand.
“Gotta go with the fire department,” he answered. “They don’t pull me over!”
There’s a reason the fire department was a little favored for this game. Everyone’s playing for a member of the fire department’s family; historic firetruck Fire Belle.
“It’s a 1957 Ford,” said Spring Hill Fire Department Chief Graig Temple.
“My husband was a volunteer firefighter for about 30 years,” added longtime resident Ann Russell. “Fire Belle was the first fire engine they had.”
“She’s a legend in Spring Hill!” said another longtime resident Jackie Glenn.
“Us, as a fire department, we give lineage to that history,” said Temple.
A lot of people in Spring Hill would like to see Fire Belle back in things like the Christmas Parade, but Fire Belle’s seen better days. She’s now at a repair shop and needs a new engine, brakes, transmission.
“The repairs for Fire Belle are going to be close to $60,000,” said Temple.
Then came president of the Spring Hill Historical and Genealogical Society, Benny Jett.
“Benny, you’re only 17!” I said.
“Yeah, I turned 17 just this past Wednesday,” he laughed. “Hey. I’d like to do this idea. Do you think this would be something good we could do, and everybody agreed with me.”
Jett helped gather local sponsorships and organize this softball tournament to help raise money.
“Fire Belle represents old Spring Hill,” Jett said. “Spring Hill used to be 400 people and now it’s up to almost 70,000.”
“I ask everyone where they’re from cause I know they’re not from Spring Hill!” Russell added.
That’s true, but for Fire Belle, people turned up, and it was cross-generational. Spring Hill Mayor Matt Fitterer was out on the field.
“Fire Belle’s a very important historical asset to the city,” Fitterer said.
There’s something about the crowd working for Fire Belle that had that small town sensibility.
Glenn had a story about Fire Belle.
It was 1972. Glenn was a student at what was then Sping Hill High when the curtains in the auditorium caught fire. Fire Belle was nearby.
“The truck wouldn’t start!” Glenn remembered. “All of us juniors and seniors went up there and pushed Fire Belle out of the bay, pushed it down School Street. Of course, the school’s still standing, so we got the fire put out. My hand prints were on that truck at one time. It’s a special memory in my heart and in my hands.”
“Everybody helped me, supporting me with this idea,” Jett said.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Russell added. “I really do.”
“We will be able to ensure Spring Hill’s history will be continued in future generations,” Jett said.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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