Evanston Fire Department history Part 28

Pat Gaynor, Marriage Counselor

The winter of 1920 proved to be a challenging one for the Evanston Fire Department (EFD), as they responded to multiple fires over the course of just a few days. On Sunday and Monday, January 4th and 5th, the department fought four fires within a 24-hour span.

At 9:19 AM on Sunday, Engine Company 1 and Truck Company 1 were called to the home of C. M. Haugen at 1462 Oak Avenue. A basement fire had started when sparks from the furnace ignited nearby woodwork. The crews quickly brought the fire under control, and no further spread was detected. Just two hours later, the same units were back on duty, responding to a fire at the L. H. Kashgarian residence at 1423 Elmwood Avenue. Sparks from the chimney had set the roof ablaze, and Truck Co. 1 used a ladder to access the roof while Engine Co. 1 extinguished the flames with a 1½-inch line.

The next morning, Engine Co. 2 and Truck Co. 1 responded to a fire at 904 Michigan Avenue, where an unattended fireplace in the second-floor apartment of C. W. Hopkins caused sparks that ignited nearby furniture. Truck Co. 1 evacuated the building’s residents and began ventilation, while Engine Co. 2 worked to put out the fire. Unfortunately, the apartment was completely gutted. Meanwhile, Engine Co. 1 and Engine Co. 3 responded to a fire at an apartment building owned by E. Pulfrey at 939 Ridge Court, also caused by chimney sparks. Engine Co. 1 used a 35-foot ladder and a 2½-inch line to contain the blaze, but the fire had already spread to the second floor. The total damage from the four fires over the weekend reached $11,500.

Two weeks later, on Saturday night, January 17th, into Sunday morning, January 18th, the EFD faced two More fires within 12 hours. The first occurred at the home of Arabelle Outlaw at 1800 Dodge Avenue, where an overheated furnace caused flames to spread from the basement to the upper floors. Engine Co. 1 and Truck Co. 1 eventually extinguished the fire, but the house was a total loss. At 9:00 AM the following day, Engine Co. 3 and Truck Co. 1 responded to a fire at the residence of Professor N. E. Simonsen at 2243 Orrington Avenue, again caused by chimney sparks. The fire spread to a second-floor bedroom before being controlled. The combined damage from these two fires totaled $6,000.

On Sunday, 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 after 100 structures were damaged or destroyed in the central business district, prompting the deployment of Illinois militia.

Later that year, on Sunday night, May 9, 1920, Station #1 responded to a barn fire at the Wilson farm at the end of Emerson Street, near the North Shore Channel. This was one of the most isolated locations in Evanston at the time. Without a bridge over the canal, the nearest hydrant was over a thousand feet away at Leland Avenue. Engine Co. 3 arrived on a second alarm and provided an additional 2½-inch line, but the fire claimed a second barn along with many hogs and chickens. However, the horses and cows were saved by Truck Co. 1 firefighters.

By June 25, 1920, the summer had finally arrived, and Lt. Pat Gaynor was on a 12-hour furlough after a 24-hour shift at Fire Station #3, where he served as assistant company officer. While riding the streetcar home, he noticed a commotion at the South Boulevard “L” station. A man named James McGowan was beating his wife, Laura, with the butt of a revolver. He had first tried to shoot her, but the gun jammed. Despite the danger, Gaynor jumped off the car, rushed to the scene, and disarmed McGowan. He then protected the man from a crowd that had turned into a lynch mob. The police arrived, arrested McGowan, and Laura was taken to St. Francis Hospital. She survived, and the couple eventually reconciled, crediting Gaynor with saving their marriage.

In October 1920, the EFD became the 387th fire department in the nation to adopt a two-platoon system with an 84-hour workweek. This change increased the firefighting force from 41 to 49 men, with 24 on each shift plus the chief. Truck Co. 1 had 14 men, Engine Co. 1 and 2 had 12 each, and Engine Co. 3 had 10. Firefighters now worked 24 hours on, 24 hours off, and could no longer take meal breaks outside the firehouses. Kitchens, pantries, and dining rooms replaced stable facilities.

Firefighters were allowed two weeks of paid vacation annually, but none between November and March. Only one firefighter per company could be on leave at a time, and only one could be absent per shift. If a firefighter was ill, they would have to make up the lost time later. If the absence caused a shortage, another firefighter from the opposite platoon would cover the shift, receiving an alternate day off. Volunteering for the extra shift was encouraged, but the company officer could assign someone if needed.

The city council also approved a 25–35% pay raise for all EFD members in 1920. The Chief Fire Marshal’s salary increased by 25% to $3,000, rising to $3,600 in 1921. The assistant chief’s salary went from $1,530 to $2,100, while captains and lieutenants saw increases of $510 to $1,980 and $1,920, respectively. Engineers and drivers received raises of $480, bringing their salaries to $1,890, $1,830, and $1,800.

With the transition away from horse-drawn equipment, the last two reserve horse-drawn rigs—1895 Ahrens Metropolitan steamer and 1901 four-wheeled hose wagon—were finally scrapped. The city no longer had stable facilities, making it impossible to keep the old vehicles in service.