This from Steve Redick:

Going through my dad’s old scrapbooks I happened on the clippings for this job. A 5-11 and 1 Special  for the grain elevator 506 W 51st Street, April of 1969. This was arguably the last wooden grain elevator left in the city. It was situated in a rail yard with no water and no real access for companies. The articles explain this as well.

This is a very special memory for me as I went to this fire with my dad. I was 9 at the time and it was the biggest fire I had ever seen. The radiant heat was extreme. Dad put me on the turntable of truck 18, a tractor-trailer FWD. I had just gotten my Kodak instamatic camera and was snapping away. Dad told me it was gonna collapse soon and when it did it was gonna get really really hot.  I stuck my head out for just a second and grabbed a quick shot.  It was my first real fire photo.

News clipping from a historic Chicago fire

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from a historic Chicago fire

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from a historic Chicago fire

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed a grain elevator in Chicago 4-14-69

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed a grain elevator in Chicago

Warren Redick collection

Photo from a 5-11 and 1 Special for the grain elevator 506 W 51st Street, April of 1969

Steve Redick photo

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