From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment on the History of the Evanston Fire Department
The Changing Face of Evanston
Between 1907 and 1912, Evanston underwent significant geographical transformations. One of the most impactful changes was the construction of the North Shore Channel, a sanitary canal built by the Sanitary District of Chicago. This canal connected Lake Michigan at Wilmette Harbor to the North Branch of the Chicago River near Foster and Sacramento Streets. By channeling water from the lake, it allowed for the controlled flushing of sewage from Wilmette and Evanston toward a treatment plant on Howard Street, preventing raw sewage from being dumped directly into the lake. This development played a crucial role in reducing outbreaks of typhoid fever and cholera, which had long been a concern for the area.
During this same period, the Evanston City Council required the elevation of railroad tracks within the city limits. Two major railroads operated in Evanston: the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NWRR) and the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (CM&StP, known as “The Milwaukee Roadâ€). These railroads were required to elevate their main lines and construct viaducts between Howard Street and the Wilmette border. However, not all tracks needed elevation. The C&NWRR’s freight tracks, known as the Mayfair Division, were not raised south of Church Street because they primarily served industrial areas in west and southwest Evanston. Similarly, the Milwaukee Road tracks—now part of the CTA system—were only elevated as far north as Church Street, after an agreement that prevented trains from running beyond downtown Evanston.
On April 26, 1912, at 1:00 AM, the Evanston Fire Department (EFD) responded to a fire at Church and Dodge Streets. A structure fire broke out in an unfinished home owned by Renaldo Roberti at 1819 Church Street, quickly spreading to the William Marion residence at 1817 Church Street. During the blaze, Marion’s daughter, Pearl, jumped from a second-floor window into the arms of neighbor Emil Pavel, who had just helped his wife and daughter escape from their home at 1715 Dodge Avenue. While firefighters managed to save the Pavel residence, several other homes were lost, including those of Frank Kuzik, Lewis Titus, and Ludwig Veiter. The total damage amounted to $11,250, and no injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters.
This fire marked a historic moment for the EFD, as it was the first time all three of its engines—the Robinson motor engine, the American-LaFrance Metropolitan steamer, and the Ahrens Metropolitan steamer—were deployed together. The 5th Ward, where the fire occurred, was one of the poorest and most politically isolated areas in Evanston, home mostly to immigrants and African Americans. Despite its challenges, the ward lacked a business district and high-value properties, making it difficult for local leaders to gain influence in city politics. When EFD Chief Carl Harrison proposed building a fourth fire station at Emerson and Ashland in 1912, the city council showed little interest beyond the two 5th Ward aldermen.
A month later, on May 29, 1912, the EFD joined forces with Chicago Fire Department companies 70 and 112 to tackle a fire at the Bogart Building at 1306 Sherman Avenue. The fire raged throughout the day, destroying the Workers Cooperative Grocery store, the North Shore Creamery, and multiple apartments on the upper floors. The total damage reached $16,700, marking it as one of the worst fires in Evanston’s history up to that point.
In the summer of 1913, the EFD introduced a groundbreaking device called the “Lung Motor,†a mechanical resuscitator used to assist in saving lives during emergencies. This invention had been demonstrated at Evanston Hospital the previous October and proved so effective that the department received a $25 award from the Life Saving Devices Company of Chicago, earning the title of “Top Life Savers in the Nation†at the end of 1913. The Lung Motor became a vital tool, and the EFD soon began responding to requests from neighboring suburbs and even the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago.
Initially placed aboard the fast-moving Robinson auto-truck at Station #1, the Lung Motor was often taken out of service too frequently. In May 1916, when a new automobile police ambulance replaced the horse-drawn unit east of Fire Station #1, a joint police-fire policy was established. A firefighter from Station #1 would ride with two police officers in the ambulance during inhalator calls, ensuring the motor engine remained available for fire responses.
The first EFD police ambulance was built by William Erby & Sons on a White Motor Company chassis and served for 11 years before being involved in a collision with a bus in September 1927. After that, the inhalator was returned to Engine Company 1. In 1952, it was mounted on the EFD’s new rescue truck, Squad 21, and by 1959, inhalators were assigned to all five engine companies, marking a significant advancement in emergency response capabilities.
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