Dan McInerney submitted several images from Engine 77’s house on the day it was closed. Some descriptions for the images:
- Hose tower pics from above and below
- closeup of bricks was from second floor looking up, the bricks have imbedded in them “W.E.D CO. Load Bearing”. Interesting, I suppose to support the weight of hose in the small area above the roofline that the hose tower extends to
Dan McInerney photo
Dan McInerney photo
Dan McInerney photo
- View of apparatus floor from stairs going up
- one turnout coat left hanging in turnout gear “locker” (was really just sort of an open area in the apparatus floor area behind the rig)
- the watch bed
- Kitchen
Dan McInerney photo
Dan McInerney photo
Dan McInerney photo
Dan McInerney photo
#1 by Charles R. Waak jr on October 18, 2013 - 3:17 PM
My dad retired with emphysema in 1957 as a Lieutenant at engine 77, He was a fire fighting instructor at Warner Robbins army air force base in Macon, Georgia. He was drafted at age 32 years into army while a Chicago Fireman in1942. He made sergeant. I loved the Fireman’s Picnics at a Chicago forest preserve every year in the early and mid 1950’s. I believe in1955 and 1956 engine 77 was 2nd busiest house in Chicago.
#2 by Bill Post on July 29, 2013 - 5:33 PM
Dan Waak the other fire station that your father worked at was at 4666 W Fulton and was on the north east corner at Fulton and Kilpatrick which was 2 streets north of Maypole. That was the quarters of Engine 67, Truck 46 and Battalion 23. Truck 46 was the first company to be taken out of service on November 16th 1971 (along with Truck 43 and Salvage Squads 6 and 7 on the same day). Salvage Squad 2 was relocated to Engine 67 two days before. The station was closed on July 21st 1980 when Engine 67 Battalion 23 and Snorkel 4 (who had been relocated to Engine 67 in 1972) were relocated to Engine 117’s new station. Battalion 23 had become Battalion 13 on September 2nd 1982 and Engine 67 was taken out of service on September 19th 1983. Engine 67’s old station had become a church.
#3 by Dan Waak on July 29, 2013 - 3:02 PM
My father Charles R. Waak was a Lieutenant at Engine Company 77 during the early 1950’s. I visited the Fire House a few times back then when I was a young boy. We lived at 4028 W. Arthington St. at the time. He also worked at the Fire House at Kilpatrick and I believe Maypole also on the westside.
Regards,
Dan Waak
#4 by Bob on September 13, 2012 - 8:43 AM
The “watch bench” was a hand me down from Itasca FD. What a place….
#5 by Bill Post on September 12, 2012 - 11:41 PM
Martin Engine 110 had been using a 1988 E/One closed cab 1,250 GPM pumper before they got Engine 77’s 2002 Spartan Luverne.
The comment that I had made on Fog Pressure 1 being located with Engine 77 may have been misconstrued. For the years between April 1961 and late November 1967 Fog Pressure 1 was mainly in service at Engine 77’s quarters with a few short periods of time when Fog Pressure 1 was temporarily relocated to other companies’ quarters such as being put in service at Special Services at 1044 N Orleans for a few weeks in 1961. For most of those 7 years Fog Pressure 1 was in service at Engine 77’s quarters.
#6 by chris on September 12, 2012 - 10:27 PM
eng 110 ran with a 88 e one until they were given this as a hand me down
#7 by Martin on September 12, 2012 - 9:29 AM
Thanks Bill. As always It’s good to learn info about the department that I did not know. I’m glad this engine got a new home. What did 110 use before they got this rig?
#8 by Sebastian on September 12, 2012 - 4:52 AM
Did they use the engine again or did they just leave it there???
#9 by Bill Post on September 12, 2012 - 2:02 AM
Martin according to the information that I had read, Engine 77’s last rig (the one in the photo) had been reassigned to Engine Company 110 on the north side.
Here is an interesting set of statistics however. In 1968 (which was the year of the Martin Luther King riots and arson wave after his assassination) Engine Company 77 was the 6th busiest engine in the city. They went out on 3,502 runs of which 3,483 were for fires and only 19 were for special duty incidents. That was about 17 years before Chicago’s engine and truck companies started responding on ambulance assist runs as they do today .
In 1964, Engine 77 was the second busiest engine in the city, when they went out on 3,115 runs of which 3,091 were fire alarms and 24 were for special duty runs.
From early April of 1961 to late November of 1967, Fog Pressure Company 1 was also assigned to Engine 77’s house with a few short periods of time when they were temporarily out of service or reassigned to other stations. For about a month in 1961 they had been reassigned to Special Services at 1044 N Orleans, however shortly afterword they were once again reassigned to Engine 77’s house.They were in service at Engine 77’s house during most of those seven years. In October 1967, they were out of service for a few weeks before being put back in service and finally being relocated to Engine 38’s old quarters in late November.
#10 by D. McInerney on September 11, 2012 - 6:13 PM
These pictures were taken on 1/23/05, the company’s last day in service. Last Friday, the firehouse was torn down. They went OOS when E38’s new house opened 4 blocks south of E77 at 16th and Pulaski.
#11 by Martin on September 11, 2012 - 5:40 PM
Is this stuff sitting in the house still?
#12 by Daniel C. Rode on September 11, 2012 - 4:52 PM
Unfortunately, it was disbanded on January 24, 2005, to form 5-1-2 (I believe).
#13 by Sebastian on September 11, 2012 - 4:15 PM
It is a disbanded company????