Refurbishing project earns Snook rank of Eagle Scout
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McCLURE -- Restoring a piece of history has earned a young man a very high honor. Andrew R. Snook, of McClure Troop 408, refurbished the Beaver Springs Fire Company's 1926 original hand-pulled fire hose reel cart for their 100th Anniversary celebration. The project earned Snook his Eagle Scout rank.
The opportunity came from an enthusiastic suggestion from John Kauffman, a long-time member and treasurer of the Beaver Springs Fire Department. Snook's appreciation of history and commitment to community service made his project a highlight of his journey to Eagle Scout.
When the fire hose reel cart was taken from storage, it was a mere shadow of its former self. Someone in the fire company was going to throw it out 30 years ago but it was saved. After cleaning off the grit, several boys from Troop 408 began to scrape the loose paint and sand it in preparation for painting.
Then a ghost from the past, in the form of a CD, was loaned to Snook by Assistant Scoutmaster Norm Rigel. The man who donated the cart to the newly formed volunteer fire department, Ira Smith, could be heard talking on an audio recording done many years ago during an interview with teenagers Norm Rigel and Andrew's relative, Clay Henry.
The scope of the project continued to expand as it was being restored. Through research into the 1926 fire hose reel cart, Snook and his father, Roger, discovered more repairs and additions were needed to bring it back to its former glory.
"Every step along the way, we wanted to make it as original as possible," Andrew said.
The wheels were loose from the 100-year-old wood spokes being dry and worn. Snook decided to take the wheels to Vicksburg Buggy Shop where he discovered the wheels originally had black striping. The shop sent the wheels to a Lancaster area shop to tighten the wheels with specialized equipment, but the wheels were found to be too large to fit into their machine. This required them to be tightened the old-fashioned way by numbering the holes and spokes, disassembling the wheels and reassembling the pieces after being reworked. Under the thick, red paint, it was found that the wheel hubs and hardware on the toolbox were actually brass. The paint was stripped off and the brass was polished until it looked shiny and new. After the wheels were returned and the boys finished painting them, Roger free-hand painted the stripes after getting tips from Dan Rigel, a Beaver Springs painter. Dan also donated paint and supplies for the project. Zeiset Equipment donated hardware that needed to be replaced.
The original fire hose nozzle was found in the firehouse. It was in poor condition but was brought back to life with the help of Todd Wrensch, at Carm's Auto Repair, polishing the brass and Roger Snook re-wrapping the main body with red cordage. It is held on the cart by black leather straps crafted and donated by Chad Kister, a co-worker of Roger. Boop's Welding Shop recreated the rope reel after examining photos of various rope reels on hose carts from that period. Andy Bobb found a fireman's axe that had to be refurbished and made replacement boards for the hose.
Snook was surprised when he discovered a brass tribute plate affixed to the side of the toolbox. It reads: "Among the first firefighting apparatus of the Beaver Springs Volunteer Fire Company, this hose cart was restored by Andrew Snook as his Eagle Scout project. It was rededicated on 29, August 2026 during the company's 100th Anniversary Celebration."
"Congratulations to Andrew Snook for obtaining his Eagle Scout. We send a sincere thank you for your project of refinishing our antique hose cart," Beaver Spring Fire Company Chief Erik Markley said. The fire company is appreciative of his attention to detail, the research involved, and his efforts to honor the history of the Beaver Springs Fire Company when refurbishing this iconic piece of apparatus. Snook was presented a certificate from the fire company to thank him for his dedication and efforts to preserve a piece of local history.
Snook was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout on Aug. 22, 2026, during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at St. Pius X Church in Selinsgrove.