Evanston Fire Department History – Part 15

The Metropolitan was one of the most popular steam engines of its time. While Evanston’s new model came from American-LaFrance, the older one was built by the Ahrens Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati. Chris Ahrens, the inventor of the Metropolitan, was a key figure in the industry. Alongside Button, Clapp & Jones and Silsby, he helped form the American Fire Engine Company (AFEC) in 1891, aiming to reduce competition and maximize profits through consolidation. Despite the merger, the lack of participation from Amoskeag and LaFrance limited its effectiveness.

Ahrens was the largest and most successful among the four companies. His Metropolitan was widely sold across the U.S., including to Evanston. He also designed the ambitious but less successful “Columbian,” a unique rig with both a steam engine and a hose supply bed. At the time, fire departments typically used separate rigs, and many chiefs didn’t see the value in combining functions, leading to poor sales for the Columbian.

Meanwhile, LaFrance was gaining control of the aerial ladder market by acquiring patents for the Hayes and Babcock designs. In 1900, AFEC merged with LaFrance, Amoskeag, and other manufacturers to form the International Fire Engine Company. By 1904, the company rebranded as American-LaFrance, moving production to Elmira, NY. However, the rise of Seagrave, a Columbus-based firm, challenged their dominance. Seagrave made high-quality horse-drawn chemical engines and combination trucks, and later, they introduced competitive aerial ladders.

Chris Ahrens, who had retired, returned to business in 1904, forming the Ahrens Fire Engine Company with his sons and son-in-law, Charles H. Fox, a local fire chief. The company evolved into the Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine Company in 1908 and became a major competitor to American-LaFrance. But due to patent restrictions, they couldn't build the Metropolitan. So Ahrens created the “Continental,” a new design that avoided existing patents. The Continental was a hit, though the steam engine era ended abruptly in 1915, marking the end of an era in firefighting technology.