From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment in our series on the History of the Evanston Fire Department.
AFTERMATH
A little over a month after the Boltwood School fire, at 6:30 PM on Monday, February 7, 1927, Engine Co. 2 and Truck Co. 1 were dispatched to a fire at Lee Drugs located at 901 Chicago Ave. Upon arrival, they found a serious fire already in progress. Chief Hofstetter called for a second alarm, and Engine Co. 1, Truck Co. 2, and CFIP Patrol No. 8 responded. Engine Co. 3 temporarily moved to Station #1 to help manage the situation.
The off-duty crew was called in to assist, staffing the reserve Robinson Jumbo pumper and providing relief to those on the scene. The EFD fought the fire through the freezing night and into the next morning, but the drug store was completely destroyed, suffering a loss of $50,397 — the fifth-largest fire-related loss in Evanston's history up to that point.
On April 5, 1927, following the Boltwood School and Lee Drugs fires, Evanston voters overwhelmingly approved a $75,000 bond issue aimed at building a fourth fire station near Dempster and Dodge, as well as purchasing two 1,000-GPM triple-combination pumpers, a new “auto-buggy†for the chief, a high-pressure turret nozzle, and additional large-diameter hoses and nozzles.
The bond also mandated hiring 20 new firefighters in 1927 and three more in 1928, increasing EFD membership from 61 to 84 — a 38% rise. The chief would work regular hours at Station #1 but remain on call otherwise, while the new fire prevention inspector would also work during business hours. Each platoon would have 41 men, with a minimum of 34 on duty per shift if one man was short, which was common due to leave, sickness, or overtime.
A used 1925 Lincoln Model “L†sedan was purchased for $2,000, replacing the 1917 Haynes touring car that had served as the chief’s vehicle for ten years. Seagrave won the contract for the two pumpers, beating American-LaFrance and Ahrens-Fox, offering two 1,000-GPM triple-combination pumpers with a 50-gallon booster tank and hose reel for $24,480 total.
By 1927, most manufacturers had shifted away from soda-acid chemical tanks, adopting the newer Ahrens-Fox booster system. Seagrave offered several models, including the 300, 400, 500, 600, 750, and 1,000-GPM units. The two Seagrave Standards bought by Evanston became the backbone of the department, serving for 25 years before becoming reserves.
On May 1, 1927, the City Council authorized the hiring of 20 new firefighters starting November 1, 1927, to staff two new engine companies. Engine Co. 4 would be based at Station #2 and later move to the new Fire Station #4, while Engine Co. 5 would operate as the second engine company at Station #1. Engine Co. 2 and Engine Co. 5 received the new Seagrave pumpers, while Engine Co. 4 operated with an American-LaFrance steamer and a Seagrave booster pumper.
The council also approved pay raises across the board, including a $25 monthly increase for the chief and assistant chief, $5 for captains, lieutenants, and engineers, and $10 for new “Fireman I†positions. The former rank of “assistant motor driver†was eliminated, and the position of “engineer-mechanic†was created to handle maintenance at Station #1.
On June 10, 1927, the Civil Service Board conducted the most intense day of testing in its history, with entry-level and promotional exams for Fireman II, captain, lieutenant, engineer-mechanic, and motor driver-engineer. The atmosphere was electric, as the department prepared for a major expansion.
But just months later, tragedy struck. On Sunday afternoon, September 18, 1927, Captain J.E. Mersch of Engine Co. 1 was seriously injured when the police ambulance he was riding in was hit by a bus at Lake and Sheridan while en route to aid a drowning victim. Officer Richard Guess was critically injured and permanently disabled, and Mersch suffered a broken leg and other injuries. He was feared to never walk again, and his firefighting career was likely over. The ambulance was destroyed, and the victim died.
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