The oldest firehouse in Wayne County is on a search for pieces of its history, and recently acquired quite the find.

The East Williamson Fire Hall was originally a school house in the 1800s, before becoming the fire house in 1947.

"If you lose sense of where you come from, you don’t know where to go in the future," said Gary Dick, East Williamson Fire Department historian.

During renovations, an old bell that once sat on top of the building was sold as part of a fundraiser. But after 72 years and a social media search, the bell was returned to the hall by its owner.

Fire officials hope to gather other artifacts, like the sign originally affixed to the school house, to celebrate their centennial in 2023.

“All these little pieces of history are coming back here," Dick said. "I want the kids to be able to see this stuff because this is where we’ve been.”

Dick says they've also located the company's first powered truck.