Evanston Fire Department History – Part 9

Alongside the devastating fire at the Lincoln Avenue schoolhouse in 1894, the dramatic blaze on the steamer *Morley* on Lake Michigan in 1897, and the large-scale conflagration at the Harvey Hurd estate in 1899, the Evanston Fire Department faced numerous significant fires between 1894 and 1899. These incidents not only tested the bravery of the firefighters but also highlighted the challenges they faced in an era before modern fire protection systems.

On Sunday morning, February 25, 1894, at 9:20 AM, choir member Walter Clark discovered a fire at the First Presbyterian Church located at 1427 Chicago Avenue. The fire was caused by a faulty furnace that had been lit by the church janitor at 4:30 AM. As in the earlier fire that destroyed the church in 1875, the flames spread to the roof. Firefighter Ed Densmore was struck by falling bricks while fighting the fire but escaped with minor injuries. Chief Sam Harrison became temporarily trapped in the basement due to thick smoke but managed to escape. Although the fire was contained from spreading to neighboring homes, one suffered exterior heat damage. The church was completely destroyed, resulting in a loss of $30,700—the third-largest fire loss in Evanston’s history up to that point.

At 3 AM on Tuesday, April 14, 1896, the Evanston Fire Department responded to a fire in the basement of the Bartlett Building at the northwest corner of Davis and Chicago Streets. Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy smoke and burning natural gas. Flames quickly spread upward, engulfing the entire structure. Firefighters managed to save the Oliver Building to the west and a frame house to the north, but several businesses—including a millinery shop, a plumbing store, a barber shop, a jewelry store, and the Bartlett Building itself—were heavily damaged. The total loss was $13,500. Capt. Jack Sweeting injured his foot after falling from a ladder, and rookie firefighter William Wheldon Ely suffered a severe eye injury. Just five months earlier, Ely had made headlines by scoring a perfect mark on the first-ever Civil Service exam. Without a pension system or insurance in place, Ely was immediately fired following his injury.

On Tuesday, October 26, 1897, at 6:20 PM, 5th Ward Alderman and gasworks foreman Thomas Ryan rescued a two-month-old infant from a burning home at 1720 Emerson Street. Tragically, the mother, Kate McDermott McDonnell, perished in the fire—the fourth fatality in an Evanston fire since the formation of the organized fire department in 1873. Ryan later died on New Year’s Eve 1899 after being overcome by gas fumes at the gasworks. At the time of his death, he was leading a city council investigation into the Evanston Fire Department, particularly targeting Chief Sam Harrison. However, foul play was never suspected.

It was 10:30 AM on Thursday, February 3, 1898, when a fire broke out at 806 Ridge Avenue in the St. Nicholas school, part of the St. Nicholas Catholic Church parish house. Four teachers and 140 children were safely evacuated, but Sister Martha was overcome by smoke and had to be rescued by firefighters. Poor-quality fire hydrants in South Evanston—left behind after annexation—hampered the initial response. Fireman George Hargreaves was knocked unconscious and suffered serious leg cuts after falling through a window. He was out of action for over six weeks due to head and leg injuries. The parish house was completely gutted, with damages totaling $10,475.

On Friday, January 6, 1899, at 1 PM, the Evanston Fire Department responded to a fire at the Oliver Building at 609 Davis Street, just across from where the Bartlett Building had burned down two years earlier. The fire started in the basement and spread upward to a hardware store on the first floor. Two large stoves and a furnace collapsed into the basement as supports gave way. The EFD deployed five lines of hose, including two from the Ahrens steamer and three from hydrants. Despite the cold weather, a large crowd gathered to watch the firefighting efforts, mostly from inside stores across the street. The hardware store was heavily damaged before the fire was brought under control. Later that evening, the fire reignited, destroying the entire building, including the hardware store, a real estate office, an architect’s office, and McConnell Hall. Total losses reached $13,000.

On Thursday, February 9, 1899, at 10 PM, the EFD responded to a fire at the luxurious home of Zalmon G. Sholes at 1402 Chicago Avenue. Sholes, heir to the Remington Typewriter fortune, along with his wife, son, daughter, and two servants, were all safely rescued. Initially, the fire appeared to be under control, but a natural gas explosion sent five firefighters tumbling off the front porch. Other firefighters narrowly avoided being hit by falling chimneys while battling the blaze from the outside. Firefighters directed four streams of water onto the flames, believing they had extinguished the fire ten separate times, only for it to flare up again each time. A crew from the Northwestern Gas Light & Coke Company worked for 2.5 hours to locate and shut off the gas valve. The total loss was $7,000.

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