From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment about the History of the Evanston Fire Department
The Changing Face of Evanston
The geographical landscape of Evanston transformed dramatically between 1907 and 1912. One of the major projects during this period was the construction of the North Shore Channel sanitary canal. This channel, built by the Sanitary District of Chicago, connected Lake Michigan at Wilmette Harbor to the north branch of the Chicago River near Foster and Sacramento. Its purpose was to flush sewage southward from Wilmette and Evanston to a treatment plant at Howard Street, preventing raw sewage from contaminating Lake Michigan and reducing the risk of diseases like typhoid fever and cholera.
In addition to the canal, the city council mandated that most railroad tracks within Evanston's borders be elevated. Both the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway had to comply, building viaducts at key points from Howard Street to the Wilmette border. The freight tracks of the Chicago and North Western Railway didn't need elevating south of Church Street since they served industrial areas. Similarly, the Milwaukee Road tracks were only elevated up to Church Street after the railway agreed to stop running trains north of downtown Evanston.
On April 26, 1912, at 1:00 AM, the Evanston Fire Department (EFD) responded to a fire at Church and Dodge Streets. The blaze started in an incomplete house owned by Renaldo Roberti at 1819 Church Street and spread to the neighboring William Marion residence. Despite high winds complicating firefighting efforts, all three EFD engines—Robinson motor engine, American-LaFrance Metropolitan steamer, and Ahrens Metropolitan steamer—were deployed. The fire damaged several homes, including those of Frank Kuzik, Lewis Titus, and Ludwig Veiter, totaling $11,250 in damages. Thankfully, there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
This fire was particularly devastating for the 5th Ward, which housed many immigrants and African Americans and was considered the poorest and most politically marginalized ward in the city. Without strong ties to other wards, the 5th Ward struggled to gain support for new fire stations. In response to this incident, EFD Chief Carl Harrison proposed constructing a fourth fire station at Emerson and Ashland. However, despite the efforts of the two 5th Ward aldermen, there was little interest from the city council.
A month later, on May 29, 1912, the EFD joined forces with Chicago Fire Department Engine Companies 70 and 112 to tackle a blaze at the Bogart Building at 1306 Sherman Avenue. The fire, which destroyed the first-floor grocery store and creamery along with upper-level apartments, caused $16,700 in damages, ranking it among the top ten worst fires in Evanston's history up to that point.
During the summer of 1913, the EFD introduced the "Lung Motor," a mechanical resuscitator, at Fire Station No. 1. Demonstrated at Evanston Hospital the previous October, the device proved highly effective. By year's end, the Life Saving Devices Company of Chicago awarded the EFD a $25 prize as the nation's top life savers. The Lung Motor was initially placed on the Robinson auto-truck but was frequently taken out of service for inhalator calls. To address this issue, starting in May 1916, a joint police-fire policy allowed a firefighter to accompany police officers in the new automobile ambulance, ensuring the motor engine remained available for fire emergencies.
The first Evanston police ambulance, built by William Erby & Sons on a White Motor Company chassis, served for eleven years until being destroyed in a collision with a bus in September 1927. Afterward, the inhalator returned to Engine Company 1. From 1952, it was housed on the EFD's new rescue truck (Squad 21), and by 1959, inhalators were assigned to all five engine companies.
As I reflect on these events, it's fascinating how advancements in technology and infrastructure shaped the EFD's capabilities. Each step forward, whether in firefighting equipment or public health measures, underscored the department's commitment to protecting the community. It's a reminder of how far we've come but also of the ongoing challenges faced by urban fire departments everywhere.
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