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Chicago Fire Department history

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Armory 1552 S. Michigan Ave

photographer unknown

Tags: Chicago Fire Department history, historic fire scene photos

This entry was posted on October 19, 2018, 7:00 AM and is filed under Fire Department History, Historic Fire Photo. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Comments

• #1 by Bill Post on October 19, 2018 - 11:46 AM

  

  I can’t help but wonder how much longer they waited before moving that rig or did they even move it out of the way at at all? This was among Chicago’s first metal aerial ladders. Chicago only had two of this make and model and they were downtown about six blocks apart. These 1942 American LaFrance engine ahead of cab units had 100-foot extendable metal ladders that were rare for the CFD in those years.

  This was Truck 31’s rig at the time and the photo was most likely taken around 1967/68. That’s when the South Loop Armory was torn down. It was Truck 6’s last assigned rig before they were taken out of service in August of 1963. It was reassigned to Truck 31 which was located with Engine 104 at 1401 S Michigan. That was also the first downtown truck company’s station that I visited. It was on the east side of Franklin Street between Washington and Randolph where the AT&T building was built. Truck 6 had been with Engine 40 and Squad 1.

  The other 1942 American LaFrance was assigned to Truck 1, however in early 1967 it was replaced with a 1942 Pirsch 100-foot metal tillered aerial.
  Chicago purchased a third 100-foot metal ladder truck in 1942 but it was a one-of-a-kind Pirsch because it had a four-door sedan cab tractor. That was well before enclosed cabs were required for fire apparatus. That truck was originally assigned to Truck 3 when they were on Erie Street west of Lasalle with the 2nd Battalion. After Truck 3 received their rear mounted Mack Magirus ladder around 1959/60, the 1942 Pirsch 100-foot TDA was reassigned to Truck 44 from 1960 until 1966. Then the sedan cab tractor was removed and replaced with a 1946 Pirsch two-door tractor and the apparatus was given to Truck 1 in 1967.

  Even though Chicago purchased three, 100-foot TDAs in 1942 with metal aerial ladders, they continued purchasing wooden aerial ladders until 1956. The CFD replaced two damaged wooden aerials with new metal ladders in 1958 and in 1963. They purchased four metal Magirus ladders in 1959/60, but it wasn’t until 1966 that Chicago started purchasing metal aerial ladders on a large scale.

• #2 by Gnarldtoad on October 19, 2018 - 9:08 AM

  

  I do not think it is wise to leave that tiller truck sitting next to that wall for an extended period of time. It could end bad!

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