Evanston Fire Department history – part 4

As promised, the trustees made an effort to establish a paid fire department in May 1882. They allocated $850 to compensate the Fire Marshal and other firefighters for their service. The Fire Marshal was to receive a part-time salary of $100 annually, while each of the nine members of the part-time fire company would be paid $50 per year. Additionally, a full-time police/fire officer—acting as both a night watchman and fire apparatus caretaker—was to earn $600 yearly, with half paid by the police department and the other half by the fire department.

Although Fire Marshal Bailey received his salary, and Austin McDonough, a former member of the Pioneer Hose Company, was appointed as the full-time police/fire officer, the proposed nine-man part-time fire company never came to fruition. By May 1885, the position of police/fire officer was eliminated entirely.

On May 1, 1883, after two years of unfulfilled promises from the village board, Chief Bailey once again offered to resign. This time, the trustees accepted. However, by that spring, most of the original six trustees from 1881 had been replaced, leaving only President J. J. Parkhurst. Newer trustees, especially Alexander Drummond, a former Evanston firefighter, recognized the urgent need for an effective fire company, similar to the Pioneer and Gilbert hose companies, that could properly serve the community and be fairly compensated.

On July 17, 1883, the Village of Evanston Board of Trustees appointed Sam Harrison, a Davis Street merchant and former C. J. Gilbert Hose Company officer, as Fire Marshal. They tasked him with forming a part-time or paid fire company. Just over a week later, on July 28, Harrison—like his predecessor, Bob Bailey—owned a butcher shop, and he presented a new 12-man company to the village board. It was officially accepted on November 6, 1883. Each firefighter was paid $40 annually, while the Fire Marshal still received $100.

The EFD’s first horse-drawn hose wagon, built by local Evanstonian Gerhard Brienen and pulled by a horse named Dave, went into service in October 1883. The new fire company was housed in a remodeled paint shop at the northwest corner of Sherman Avenue and the north alley of Davis Street, which would later become the site of the first city parking garage.

In addition to the one-horse, four-wheeled Fire Patrol and the two-horse Babcock chemical-engine (converted to a horse-drawn appliance in 1884), a horse-drawn hook & ladder wagon built by the Davenport Fire Apparatus Company was introduced in 1885. From 1885 to 1892, the horses used to pull the hook & ladder truck were also employed by the street department to haul garbage when not in use by the EFD. The Davenport truck remained in service for over 32 years, until it was retired and scrapped in January 1918.

The fire company formed by Sam Harrison in 1883 became the foundation of Engine Co. 1, later known as Engine Co. 21. Harrison led the company for several years before passing command to J. E. “Jack” Sweeting in 1895. Sweeting, who became the first captain of Engine Co. 1, also served as the EFD’s first Assistant Chief Fire Marshal in 1905. He spent all 25 years of his career with the EFD, serving exclusively with Engine Co. 1. He passed away on Christmas Day 1912 due to stomach cancer. His tenure set a longevity record that stood until George Hargreaves celebrated his 25th anniversary in 1918.

On the evening of Tuesday, September 25, 1883, the new fire company responded to a report of smoke coming from the Dwight-Buell stable behind the Avenue House at the northeast corner of Davis and Chicago. The Avenue House, known for its charming wrap-around porch, was later demolished and replaced by the North Shore Hotel in 1916. Upon arrival, Chief Sam Harrison was told that 31-year-old coachman George Gale, like Harrison, was likely asleep inside. Despite repeated efforts, Gale succumbed to smoke inhalation before being rescued. The Cook County Coroner ruled the death a homicide, citing arson. There were rumors that this fire was linked to other recent fires in the village, but they ceased immediately after Gale's death, and no one was ever charged.

On Thursday, December 20, 1883, at 8:50 AM, a fire broke out at Evanston Township High School, located at the northeast corner of Crain and Benson (later known as Elmwood Avenue). At just three months old, the school was still unfamiliar to the EFD. Firefighters struggled to navigate the smoky building, and fearing for their safety, Chief Harrison requested help from the Chicago Fire Department—the first time the EFD had ever asked for mutual aid. Within 19 minutes, an express train carrying a steam fire engine, hoses, ladders, and 10 men arrived. By 11 AM, the fire was under control, saving the school with only $5,000 in damage and no injuries.

Despite these successes, the EFD faced challenges. On Sunday, November 22, 1884, the First Congregational Church at Grove and Hinman was destroyed by fire. Firefighters had opened doors and windows to ventilate the building, but a strong wind fanned the flames into a firestorm. While the neighborhood was saved, the church suffered $32,000 in losses. Twenty-year-old rookie firefighter Tim Kelleher, on his first call, inhaled smoke that led to a respiratory infection and eventually tuberculosis. He died in July 1888. Whether the smoke inhalation directly caused his death remains uncertain, but it likely played a role.