On Broadway, just south of Lincoln, is another Wichita landmark that is hidden in plain sight: the Kansas Firefighters Museum.
The museum is small in size but uses the space wisely. The walls, ceilings — every square inch, it seems — is full of memorabilia.
There are photos, plaques, logbooks and, best of all, old fire equipment. The museum has the station’s original horse-drawn wagon; a chemical truck that was pulled and pushed by four men; and a 1921 American Lafrance fire engine.
David Wilson — “DD” to his friends — is a retired firefighter and recording secretary for the museum. He's passionate about the vocation and its history.
“I’ve been researching Wichita firefighters, and [now] the state,” Wilson said.
The museum was once Wichita's Fire Station No. 6; it was built in 1909.
“At the time, seven firefighters were here and those seven firefighters worked seven days a week," Wilson said.