Evanston Fire Department history Part 28

Pat Gaynor, Marriage Counselor

In 1920, the Evanston Fire Department faced a particularly challenging winter. Over the weekend of January 4th and 5th, they responded to four fires within a 24-hour period. The first occurred at 9:19 AM on Sunday at the C.M. Haugen home on Oak Avenue, where furnace sparks ignited woodwork in the basement. Station #1 quickly controlled the fire, which didn’t spread further.

Two hours later, Station #1 was called again to a fire at the L.H. Kashgarian residence on Elmwood Avenue, where chimney sparks caught the roof on fire. Truck Co. 1 arrived, laddered the roof, and Engine Co. 1 used a 1½-inch line to extinguish the flames.

The next morning, Engine Co. 2 and Truck Co. 1 responded to an apartment fire on Michigan Avenue after unattended fireplace sparks set furniture ablaze. Truck Co. 1 evacuated residents and ventilated the building, while Engine Co. 2 worked to put out the fire—though the apartment was ultimately gutted. Meanwhile, Engine Co. 1 and Engine Co. 3 were dispatched to a fire at E. Pulfrey’s building on Ridge Court, where chimney sparks ignited the roof. Despite their efforts, the fire spread to second-floor apartments, causing significant damage. The total damage from the four fires that weekend amounted to $11,500.

Two weeks later, on January 17th into the 18th, the EFD tackled two More fires within 12 hours. At 9:15 PM on Saturday, a fire broke out in the basement of Arabelle Outlaw’s home on Dodge Avenue, caused by an overheated furnace. Flames spread to the upper floors, and the house was completely lost. The next day, Engine Co. 3 and Truck Co. 1 responded to a fire at Professor N.E. Simonsen’s home on Orrington Avenue, where chimney sparks ignited the roof. The fire reached a second-floor bedroom before being contained. Combined damage from these two fires totaled $6,000.

On March 28, 1920, a tornado swept through Chicago and the northern suburbs, including Evanston. Twenty homes near Central Street and Lincolnwood Drive were destroyed or severely damaged, though no injuries were reported. In Wilmette, martial law was declared, and Illinois militia were deployed after 100 structures were damaged in the business district.

On May 9, 1920, a barn fire broke out at the Wilson farm at the end of Emerson Street, one of the most isolated locations in Evanston at the time. No bridge crossed the North Shore Channel, and the nearest hydrant was over a thousand feet away. Engine Co. 3 responded on a second alarm, but the fire claimed a second barn, along with many animals. However, firefighters from Truck Co. 1 managed to save the horses and cows.

By June 25, 1920, things had quieted down. Lt. Pat Gaynor, who had just completed a 24-hour shift at Fire Station #3, was riding a streetcar on his way home for a 12-hour furlough. At the South Boulevard “L” station, he noticed a commotion. A man named James McGowan was beating his wife, Laura, with the butt of a revolver. He had tried to shoot her, but the gun jammed. Without hesitation, Gaynor jumped off the car, rushed to the scene, and disarmed McGowan. He then protected the man from an angry crowd that threatened to lynch him. Police arrived and arrested McGowan, while Laura was taken to the hospital. She survived, and the couple eventually reconciled, crediting Gaynor for saving their marriage.

In October 1920, the Evanston Fire Department became the 387th department in the country to adopt a two-platoon system, reducing the workweek from 112 to 84 hours. The force grew from 41 to 49 men, with 24 on each shift plus the chief. Truck Co. 1 had 14 men (seven per platoon, plus one as the chief’s driver), Engine Co. 1 and 2 had 12 each, and Engine Co. 3 had 10. Firefighters now worked 24 hours on, 24 off, and could no longer take meal breaks outside. Firehouses were upgraded with kitchens and dining areas.

Firefighters received two weeks of paid vacation annually, but none between November and March. Only one person per company could be on leave at a time, and if someone was absent due to illness, they had to make up the missed day. If a shift was short by more than one person, a firefighter from the opposite platoon would cover the absence and receive an alternate day off.

The city council also approved a 25–35% pay raise for all EFD members. The Chief Fire Marshal’s salary increased to $3,000, with a 20% raise to $3,600 in 1921. Assistant chiefs saw their pay jump from $1,530 to $2,100, and captains and lieutenants earned $1,980 and $1,920 respectively. Engineers and drivers got raises too, reaching $1,890, $1,830, and $1,800 annually.

With the decline of horse-drawn equipment, the last two reserve rigs were scrapped. The city had moved away from stable facilities, making it impossible to keep the 1895 Ahrens Metropolitan steamer and its 1901 hose wagon in service. Even though ex-EFD horses were still used by the street department, there was no place to stable them at the fire stations.