Evanston Fire Department history – part 4

In May 1882, the village trustees made a real effort to establish a paid fire department. 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 per year, while each of the nine members in the part-time fire company would be paid $50 annually. Additionally, a full-time police/fire officer — serving as both night-watchman and fire apparatus caretaker — was offered a $600 annual salary, split evenly between the police and fire departments.

While Fire Marshal Bailey did receive his salary, and Austin McDonough, an ex-member of the Pioneer Hose Company, was appointed as the full-time police/fire officer, the nine-man part-time fire company never fully formed. By 1885, the position of police/fire officer was eliminated entirely.

On May 1, 1883, after years of broken promises by the village board, Chief Bailey once again resigned. This time, the trustees accepted his resignation. By that spring, most of the original board members had been replaced, leaving only President J. J. Parkhurst. New trustees, especially former firefighter Alexander Drummond, recognized the urgent need for a functional fire company that could match the effectiveness of the old Pioneer and Gilbert hose companies, while ensuring fair compensation for its members.

On July 17, 1883, the Village Board of Trustees appointed Sam Harrison, a local merchant and former C. J. Gilbert Hose Company officer, as Fire Marshal. He was tasked with organizing a part-time, paid fire company. Just over two weeks later, on July 28, Harrison, who also owned a butcher shop, presented a 12-man company to the village board. It was officially approved on November 6, 1883. Each firefighter received $40 per year, with the Fire Marshal still earning $100.

The EFD’s first horse-drawn hose wagon, built by 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 Davis Street — a location that would later become the site of the city’s first parking garage.

Alongside the Fire Patrol, a one-horse, four-wheeled hose wagon, and a two-horse Babcock chemical engine (converted to a horse-drawn unit in 1884), a two-horse hook & ladder wagon from the Davenport Fire Apparatus Company was introduced in 1885. For nearly 30 years, the horses used to pull this truck were also employed by the street department for garbage collection when not in use by the EFD. The Davenport truck remained in active service until it was retired in January 1918.

Harrison’s company became the foundation of Engine Co. 1, later known as Engine Co. 21. He led the unit for several years before passing command to J. E. “Jack” Sweeting in 1895. Sweeting would go on to become the EFD’s first Assistant Chief Fire Marshal in 1905. He served all 25 years of his career with Engine Co. 1, dying of stomach cancer on Christmas Day 1912. His tenure set a longevity record that stood until 1918.

On September 25, 1883, the new fire company responded to a fire at the Dwight-Buell stable behind the Avenue House hotel. Chief Harrison discovered that a coachman named George Gale was trapped inside. Despite efforts, Gale died of smoke inhalation. The fire was ruled a homicide, and there were rumors it was linked to other recent arson cases. However, no one was ever charged, and the fires stopped shortly after.

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 layout, firefighters struggled to navigate the smoke-filled corridors. In a historic move, Chief Harrison sent a telegram to the Chicago Fire Department for help. 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.

Not all of the EFD’s efforts were successful. On November 22, 1884, the First Congregational Church was destroyed after firefighters opened doors and windows, inadvertently letting in wind that turned a small fire into a raging blaze. Though the neighborhood was saved, the church suffered $32,000 in damages. Rookie firefighter Tim Kelleher, who had just joined the department, inhaled too much smoke and later died of tuberculosis in 1888. While the connection to his death remains uncertain, many believed the incident played a role.