More than 200 persons helped the Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company celebrate its 50th anniversary last night in festive style.

The celebration was marked by he arrival of a new FMC pumper-tanker vehicle during a party open to the community held in the firehouse.

The new truck arrived 45 minutes before the festivities. The “Roughneck Tanker” has a 450-gallon-per-minute pumper and a 1,500-gallon coated steel water tank, and cost the company $58,527. It replaces a 1956 International tanker the company hopes to sell.

Three of about 30 charter members of the company who are still living — Fred Sander, Robert Stemler and Raymond Farber — were acknowledged by company president Delmas Whiteman during the program.