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Royal
Oak Historical Society |
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Because the lines at the south side homes quickly became long, some ticket-holders chose to begin in the north and appeared at the Webster & Crooks fire station within minutes of the 10 a.m. kickoff of the tour. They were still walking through the door at closing time, 4 p.m. As had happened at the museum's grand opening in April, the visitors gravitated individually or in clusters toward their primary interest: photographs, maps, things, or documents. "I'll be back when I can stay a while" was a frequent comment.
The museum's volunteers, in shifts, were kept busy answering questions and guiding the many who wanted to "see where the firemen slept" upstairs, where the museum office and shelves filled with artifacts now occupy the former dormitory. Interest in the structure itself was strong. Many were interested in where the two poles had been located before OSHA banned them. Surprise was frequently the response when visitors learned that modern firefighting vehicles are too large to fit in the station.
One of several highlights of the day was the young man who, seeing a display of milk bottles from Twin Pines and Royal Oak Dairy, drove home and returned to donate a bottle from Brown's Creamery. -- June 2010