Evanston Fire Department history – part 4

In May 1882, the village trustees made a commitment to establish a paid fire department. They allocated $850 to support the Fire Marshal and other firefighters. The Fire Marshal was to receive a part-time salary of $100 annually, while each of the nine members in the proposed part-time fire company would earn $50 per year. A full-time police/fire officer, who would also serve as a night watchman and caretaker of fire equipment, was to be paid $600 annually, with half the salary coming from the police department and the other half from the fire department.

Despite the plan, only a few elements were actually implemented. 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. However, the nine-man part-time fire company never fully formed. By 1885, the position was eliminated, showing the challenges the village faced in maintaining an organized fire service.

On May 1, 1883, after years of unfulfilled promises, Chief Bailey resigned again, and this time, the trustees accepted his resignation. By that spring, most of the original board members had been replaced, with only President J. J. Parkhurst remaining. New trustees, including Alexander Drummond, a former Evanston firefighter, recognized the urgent need for a more effective fire department that could match the performance of the old Pioneer and Gilbert hose companies while ensuring fair compensation for those serving.

On July 17, 1883, the Village Board appointed Sam Harrison, a merchant on Davis Street and a former officer with the C. J. Gilbert Hose Company, as Fire Marshal. He was tasked with forming a new part-time, paid fire company. On July 28, Harrison, who also owned a butcher shop, presented a 12-man company to the board. It was officially accepted on November 6, 1883. Each firefighter received $40 annually, while the Fire Marshal continued to earn $100.

The EFD’s first horse-drawn hose wagon, built by local craftsman Gerhard Brienen and pulled by a horse named Dave, entered 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—later the site of the first city parking garage.

In addition to the Fire Patrol, a one-horse, four-wheeled hose wagon, and a Babcock chemical engine (converted to horse-drawn use in 1884), a two-horse hook-and-ladder wagon from the Davenport Fire Apparatus Company was added in 1885. For years, the horses used to pull the hook-and-ladder truck were also employed by the street department for garbage collection when not in use by the fire department. This Davenport truck remained in active service for over 32 years, until it was finally retired in January 1918.

The fire company organized 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 became the first captain of Engine Co. 1 and later served as the EFD’s first Assistant Chief Fire Marshal in 1905. He spent all 25 years of his career with the department, and his tenure set a longevity record until George Hargreaves matched it in 1918. Sweeting died on Christmas Day 1912 from stomach cancer.

On September 25, 1883, just weeks after the new fire company was established, they responded to a fire at the Dwight-Buell stable behind the Avenue House hotel. The building, which was later replaced by the North Shore Hotel in 1916, saw the death of 31-year-old coachman George Gale. Despite efforts by the firefighters, Gale succumbed to smoke inhalation. The coroner ruled it a homicide, and while some believed the fire was connected to other arson cases, no one was ever charged.

A month later, on December 20, 1883, the EFD faced its first major challenge when a fire broke out at the newly opened Evanston Township High School. Lacking familiarity with the building's layout, firefighters struggled to navigate the smoky interior. To prevent their men from becoming trapped, Chief Harrison sent a telegram to the Chicago Fire Department, marking the first mutual-aid request in EFD history. Within 19 minutes, a train carrying a steam fire engine and 10 men arrived. The fire was quickly extinguished, saving the school with minimal damage and no injuries.

Not every call ended successfully. On November 22, 1884, the First Congregational Church at Grove and Hinman was destroyed by fire. In an effort to ventilate the building, firefighters opened doors and windows, allowing wind to intensify the flames. While the neighborhood was saved, the church suffered $32,000 in damages. Rookie firefighter Tim Kelleher, just starting his career, inhaled smoke that led to a respiratory infection. He died in 1888 from tuberculosis, though the direct cause of his illness remains uncertain.