June 27, 2025

BOYER

Obenchain-Boyer Company (1879-1925)
Boyer Fire Apparatus Co. (1925-c1960)
Boyer-Universal (c1960-1988)
Logansport, Indiana


This is a Boyer Fire Apparatus emblem (date unknown)   mjs
Size: 218mm wide 95mm high     MM: None

John T. Obenchain and Stephen B. Boyer established the Obenchain-Boyer Company in 1869 and by the early 1900's the company began to specialize in the manufacture of chemical tanks and fire fighting apparatus. By the early 1920's the business had developed into the manufacture of complete motor fire engines mainly using Model T Ford and Reo chassis, including chemical cars, hose and pumper combinations. Obenchain-Boyer fire engines used the the letters "O-B" attached to the radiator as their emblem.

In 1925 the company was renamed the Boyer Fire Apparatus Company and grew into a major builder of fire engines. The company was again restructured as Boyer-Universal and Boyer fire apparatus was then built by the Universal Fire Apparatus Corporation. Production of Boyer fire apparatus ceased in 1988.

Emblems

The Obenchain-Boyer fire engines built in the 1920's carried an "O-B" script attached to the radiator, see photo shown below of an Obenchain-Boyer fire engine based on a Reo chassis:

Obenchain-Boyer Reo Speed Truck fire engine (1920's)  eBay

Close-up showing "O-B" radiator script

The following shows an example of the Obenchain-Boyer "O-B" radiator script. This "O-B" radiator script is rare.

This is an Obenchain-Boyer radiator script (1920's)    mjs
Size: 117mm wide 98mm high   MM: None

After 1925, the Boyer Fire Apparatus Company displayed the "Boyer" name on Boyer nameplates and  emblems, see black and red painted emblem shown above at the top of this post.

The following is a "Boyer" fire apparatus nameplate:

This is a Boyer nameplate (date unknown)     mjs
Size: 102mm high 76mm wide

 





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