Posts Tagged Chicago Engine 77

Chicago Engine 77 – some partial history (part 10)

Sep 20

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus | 10 Comments

Bill Friedrich has submitted images of some older apparatus that has been assigned to Engine 77 in the past

Engine 77 shown here running with a 1953 FWD (X-Engine 97). This unit had a 1,000-GPM pump and no water. This photo was taken after the ladder rack had been removed. Bill Friedrich collection

Bill notes that:

Obviously a spare, the company saved the shops time by putting their own numbers on the rig. This FWD is the former combination Engine 97 after the ladder rack was removed. Note the apartment building just to the north of the station.

Chicago Engine 77 1970 Ford C8000 Ward LaFrance engine

Engine 77 had this 1970 Ward LaFrance engine on a Ford C8000 chassis. It carried 500 gallons of water and had a 1,000-GPM pump. Bill Friedrich photo

Tags: Bill Friedrich, Chicago Engine 77, FWD fire engine in Chicago, Ward LaFrance fire engine in Chicago

Chicago Engine 77 – some partial history (part 9)

Sep 19

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos, Historic fire apparatus | 4 Comments

Final installment of photos from Dave Weaver on Engine 77’s last day:

Final words before going out of service

Officially putting the company out of service

A last look at the house

City crew boarding up the glass

Cameo appearance of the photographer

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's last day in service

Dave Weaver photo

photographer unknown

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Chicago Fire Department history, Dave Weaver, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some partial history (part 8)

Sep 18

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History | 1 Comment

More from Dave Weaver of Engine 77’s last day.

The house on the last morning

the bench outside

The engine and the house

The last duty company

Dave Weaver photo

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Chicago Fire Department history, Dave Weaver, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some partial history (part 7)

Sep 17

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus, Reader submission | 6 Comments

Not to be outdone … this next series is from Dave Weaver who adds:

Well heck, I figured if you’ve gone this far down Engine 77 memory lane I would also share the photos that I took on their last day…

Thunderbolt Siren box

bathroom

Company helmet shield

Local 2 patch

unit on special duty

Dave Weaver photo

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Chicago Fire Department history, Dave Weaver, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some final history (part 5)

Sep 15

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History | 6 Comments

… and after being torn down

E77 on September 9, 2012. Demo complete, views from both north and south. Notice condition of the house to the south at 1226 S. Komensky. House has been rehabbed and is currently occupied. Almost 90 year old firehouse to the north is gone.

E77 is one of the last of it’s kind. The last single engine house was built in the early 50’s (E113- the ‘next company over” from 77). There are only a handful of single company firehouses in Chicago anymore, let alone single company houses with the history of actvity E77 saw during it’s heyday. For awhile, it had a reputation as a punishment house, on the outskirts of the city, where department brass “bansihed” firemen it disliked. But with many firehouses like it, Engine 77 consistently turned out experienced, seasoned firefighters that were promoted out of the house to pass on the lessons they learned.

E77 on 10/24/07

demolition of Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago Fire Department abandoned firehouse

Dan McInerney photo

Journal 1 shows the company journal entry when me grandfather retired (mandatory after 35 years apparently).

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77 journal

Dan McInerney photo

The other journal entry shows the company member information page. Notice there are only 2 company officers and engineers. This was back in the days of the two-platoon system. The info pages also list the dates of birth, entry into CFD and the date the member was assigned to the company.

Dan McInerney photo

In this case, my grandfather John J. McInerney was transferred to E77 as an Engineer on March 16, 1935. He started out as a fireman at E103 when they were on Harrison Street in 1917. In the center of the picture it lists his date of birth as 8/15/1889. Next to the on the right, his “Former Occ” on the top right of the page it lists his former occupation as a Locomotive Fireman. Next to that, it lists his native country as “US”, followed by his badge number. The following page goes on to list his date of entry into the CFD (7/22/17), address and phone number. In his case, he lived at 1509 N. Luna, and his telephone number was Merrimac7-2510. This information about members was kept in company journals for many, many years.

My father, Donald McInerney, as a young boy used to visit his father at the firehouse. He used to call his dad “ball driver”. Shortly after John J. was promoted to Engineer, E77 had an Ahrens-Fox pumper assigned to it, and it had the distinctive chrome shpere on the front, hence the name “ball driver”.

Family lore has it that my grandfather met his future wife one day at E103’s firehouse. She saw him going down the street on an alarm, and came by the firehuose afterwards to complain that she didn’t like the way he was treating the horses.

E77’s last company patch. I’ll leave it to the viewers to report how they got the phrase “I Like It Here”

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's company patch

Dan McInerney collection

I posted many more pics on my facebook page “facebook.com/dmcinerney1”. If blog viewers wish, they can go there and view pics from E77’s last day in service as well as other fire pics I have uploaded to my facebook page.

Tags: CFD company patches, Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Chicago Fire Department patches, Dan McInerney, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some partial history (part 4)

Sep 14

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History | 8 Comments

More from Dan McInerney about Engine 77’s house on the day it was closed. Descriptions for these images:

several shots of the bunk room

the officer’s room

the locker room

their last company patch

Chicago Engine 77's last day before being disbanded

Dan McInerney photo

Dan McInerney photo

Tags: CFD company patches, CFD patches, Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Chicago Fire Department patches, Dan McInerney, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some partial history (part 3)

Sep 13

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History | 4 Comments

More from Dan McInerney about Engine 77’s house on the day it was closed. Descriptions for these images:

basement boiler area, (they had a sauna in the basement attached to the boiler)

Watch desk

board of weekly/daily house duties, cleaning schedule, general house information, go/no go buttons with box alarm bells

the last day was 1/23/05 and they had had a few runs already, rig was dirty from being out. This view also shows how tight the fit was with a 1924-5-ish firehouse and a modern size rig

E77 door #

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house on the day it was closed.

Dan McInerney photo

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Dan McInerney, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some final history (part 2)

Sep 12

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos | 10 Comments

More from Dan McInerney about Engine 77’s house on the day it was closed. Descriptions for these images:

Views from both officers/engineers sides again showing tight fit

outside of firehouse on a cold January day, less than 16 hours to go

1984 E-One 1250/500. This pic was taken on a visit on a Saturday in the very late 80s or very early 90s. It shows the rig outside of quarters so the apparatus floor could be scrubbed out. While primarily taken as an apparatus pic, it also shows the the front of the house, with the sign “WE NEVER CLOSE”. There is a large medallion above the door with a small skull on top of it, probably a goat, which would befit the nature of this firehouse/company hanging on in the kind of neighborhood it served. Also, note the condition of the house next door to the south. It too was indicative of the neighborhood at that time. That will change in a few years.

joker stand

Next pictures are of my grandfather’s retirement badge when he retired as one of two engineers of E77 in 1952. Back then they were still on the two platoon system. He entered CFD in 1917, was promoted to Engineer at E77 in 1935 and retired in 1952.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's last day

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77 1984 E-ONE Hurricane

Dan McInerney photo

Dan McInerney photo

Dan McInerney photo

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department badge for retired engineer, Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house, Dan McInerney, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed

Chicago Engine 77 – some final history (part 1)

Sep 11

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History | 13 Comments

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

Chicago Fire Department Engine 77's house

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

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago firehouse torn down, Dan McInerney, tour of Chicago Engine 77's house the day it was closed, vacant Chicago firehouse torn down

Vacant Chicago firehouse torn down

Sep 10

Posted by bgshap in Fire Service News | 1 Comment

This from Eric Haak:

Engine 77’s old quarters at 1224 S. Komensky has been torn down. I drove by today and there was nothing left but a pile of bricks that someone was collecting.

Tags: Chicago Engine 77, Chicago Fire Department history, Chicago firehouse torn down, vacant Chicago firehouse torn down