The engines, chemical wagons and aerials, each bigger and more powerful, continued to take the place of horsedrawn equipment and by 1917, only one team remained in service at No. 6 Station.

It was ironic in a way, that as the fire horses disappeared, the oldest fire horse of them all, Chief Walden, should also pass away.

Early in November of 1917, the Chief became ill and died a short time later on November 23, 1917. The fire stations were draped in black and the flag on the City Hall was flown at half mast to do honor to the Chief of the Fire Department who was held in such high esteem. His body was taken from Mueller's Undertaking Parlor to the Central Fire Station from whence a squad of firemen, policemen and government employees from the post office accompanied it to the First Baptist Church. About 500 citizens attended the service. Every piece of firefighting equipment in the city, except the hose wagon of No. 6, pulled by the last team of horses and a number of substitute firemen, were stationed at Central Fire Station. Assistant Chief Brownewell took ample precautions to protect the city in case of a fire breaking out during the services, by stationing a fireman near the telephone in the office and telling the telephone company to turn any fire alarms that might come in to the Church. In which event, fire companies would have dashed to the scene of the fire, however, nothing occurred to mar the service.

Fire Chief Walden was dressed in his uniform and on each breast of the coat were the lapel buttons of the Chief's rank (five bugles crossed). The face of the dead Chief appeared natural, serene and quiet as he was in life. Every member of the Wichita Fire Department (48 in number), City Manager L.R. Ash, Mayor L.W. Clapp, City Commissioners Powell, Hadley, Jackman and Crawford, Director of Public Safety E.W. Zickefoose, and 30 policemen were in attendance. Many other City employees attended the service. This marked the end of 31 years of leadership and service to the Wichita Fire Department.

In 1918, the last team of fire horses, "Tom and Jerry" were removed from service on the Wichita Fire Department. They were sold to the Oil Hill Fire Department where they continued to answer fire alarms. Shortly after returning from an alarm and while the chemical tank was being refilled, Jerry stepped into a bucket of sulfuric acid, which had, through carelessness, been set too near the horse. The resulting injury made it necessary to put him to sleep. The fate of Tom is unknown.

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