This from Paul Fredericks:
Hello-
My father, Fred Fredericks, was a Chicago firefighter from the late 1950s until his retirement in 1986. He was stationed at 10 W. Hubbard, 81st and Ashland, and Midway Airport. He passed away this fall, and my siblings and I found the attached picture while going through his belongings.
This picture shows my father putting water on a fire, in the winter of a year in the late 50s or early 60s, we believe.
We thought that visitors to your blog might find it interesting, and might possibly remember some specifics about this fire.
Thank you for your interest.
-Paul Fredericks, Plainfield, IL
Chicago firefighter Fred Fredericks at a winter fire scene circa 1955. From the collection of his family.
#1 by Bill Post on December 21, 2014 - 12:36 AM
Yes, David that that was the Pirsch aerial ladder truck that I was talking about and it did retain the original 1954 cab and it also had the lower front fender painted with stripes. Thanks for posting the link of Truck 9 and it’s 1956 FWD backing into quarters. That photo was probably taken before September 1963 as that is when the 1954 FWD tractor with the new 100-foot Seagrave on the trailer was put in service at Truck 9. It was the 1954 FWD with the 100-foot metal aerial ladder that I remember seeing in downtown Chicago several times when I was visiting the Loop in the mid 1960’s.
#2 by David on December 20, 2014 - 1:35 PM
Bill, have to say I wasn’t even born back then, still I may have seen the rig in some photo, did it retain the original Pirsch tractor?! I remember seeing some Pirsch tiller serving in the early-mid 70s with the tiger stripped bumper, not sure about the aerial itself though. Also found a good pic of the Truck 9 original wooden stick backing into the quarters on Bill Friedrich’s site, hope the link’s gonna work:
http://www.illinoisfiretrucks.com/CHICAGO-FIRE-DEPARTMENT/DOWN-MEMORY-LANE/TRUCKS/i-JcdgC64/A
#3 by bestfiremanever on December 20, 2014 - 1:03 PM
FF Fredericks, in the photo above is the father of Administrative District Chief Michael Fredericks of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Fire Department (set to retire 01/01/2015). After speaking with ADC Fredericks, he stated that on the back of this photo his father had written that this particular fire was in an ice warehouse and burned for days. He stated that 9 apparatus at this fire had to be left for two weeks due to the ice build up around them. Also, this photo was on the front page of the Tribune, were FF Fredericks got the photo.
#4 by Bill Post on December 20, 2014 - 12:53 PM
David you just may have seen the 1959 PIrsch retrofitted Aerial Ladder because it was assigned to Truck 10 in early 1970 for a short time and had been assigned to Truck 19 for at least 3 years (1972 to 1975) approximately and was their last Tillered Aerial Ladder before receiving their first Seagrave rear mounted Aerial Ladder. I remember seeing it often at fires as Truck 19 not only responded to many fires on the north and west sides but Truck 19 changed quarters often.
#5 by David on December 19, 2014 - 12:23 PM
Bill thanks a lot for all the info! Never knew that they ordered a new ladder for the rig. Looks like this was the most modern tillered unit until the Mack MB tractors came, as all the tillers had by the time (1963-67) either older tractors or wooden aerials (or both). Definitely a rare piece. Pity we ain’t got the pics here to compare the 1954 and ’56 wooden tillers and the one with the new metal ladder. Also didn’t know that they purchased the other 100ft metal ladder from Pirsch in 1959, probably never seen that one. Bill thanks again for the great info!
#6 by Bill Post on December 19, 2014 - 9:20 AM
David that was a new Aerial Ladder that was specially ordered from Seagrave and the trailer needed a major modification in the rear for the Tillerman’s seat as on the wooden aerial the seat was placed over the Ladder and on the newer 100 foot Seagrave the ladder was telescopic (like all metal aerials) and therefore a special Tillerman’s open cab with a fixed steering wheel (as opposed to a removable one on the wooden aerials) was put onto the rear of the trailer and in effect was located behind the aerial ladder bed. Once the ladder was retracted and bedded it didn’t have a long over hang like the wooden ones did.
That particular rig had the 1954 FWD cab replaced in late 1967 after Truck 9 received their new rear mounted Seagrave. The cab was replaced with a new 1966 model Mack /MB cab ,similar to the cabs on the Flying Manpower Squads. After they received the new cab that rig went on to serve on Truck’s 48, 32 and perhaps a few more companies before being removed from service.
Even though Chicago bought wooden Aerial Ladder until 1956, Chicago did have a few pre 1956 Metal Tillered Aerial Ladders which included 2 American La France 1942 model 100 foot Aerial Ladders which were assigned to Trucks 1 and 6. Truck 6’s rig was later reassigned to Truck 31 in 1963 when Truck 6 and Engine 40 were taken out of service from their station at 119 N Franklin street on the West End of the Loop. That was when Truck 31 was still located at Engine 104’s old station at 1401 S Michigan avenue.
Chicago also had a unique 1942 PIrsch 100 foot metal Aerial Ladder that was delivered with a four door (engine ahead of cab) tractor and was originally assigned to Truck 3 when they were at 158 W Erie. That rig was reassigned to Truck 44 after Truck 3 received one of two 144 foot Mack/Magirus rear mounted Aerial Ladder in 1960.
In 1966 the 1942 Pirsch also received a new Mack M/B cab and had been reassigned to several Truck’s on the south side such as Trucks 42,62 and 24 though not necessarily in that order.
The Chicago Fire Department had also purchased a 100 foot Metal Aerial Ladder from Pirsch was that retrofitted on 1954 Pirsch formerly wooden Aerial Ladder Trailer (in early 1959) after the Wooden Aerial was damaged in an accident. That Truck was originally assigned to Truck 34 but after the accident was reassigned to Truck 11 (after the new metal Aerial Ladder was installed). On both of the Pirsch 100 foot Ladders the Tillerman’s seat was located over the Aerial Ladder, like on the wooden ones. On the American La France Tillered Ladders the Tillermans seat was located behind the bedded Aerial Ladder as the Ladder sections were shorter on the American La Frances.
I understand that on the five 1975/ International Harvester/Seagrave tillered Aerial Ladder Trucks that Chicago had delivered, the Trailers were supposedly rebuilt from 1954 FWD trailers even though if you look at the photos of the Trailers they look totally new to me. So I don’t know if that was true or not about Seagrave using old CFD trailers for the 1975 Aerial Ladders.
#7 by David on December 19, 2014 - 2:45 AM
Bill, one question: where did they get the Seagrave 100ft metal aerial which they mounted onto the FWD trailer after removing the wooden 85 footer?! Was that a brand new ladder specially ordered to fit onto the trailer or a remount from something CFD already had? Thanks a lot!
#8 by Bill Post on December 19, 2014 - 1:16 AM
Yes that’s an all around great picture both from the point of vantage position across the street from the “caved in” fire building and the shot of the street jack and pipe which what was used in Chicago before the multiversal nozzles which were put in service during the 60’s and 70’s.
I remember old Engine 11’s house which was only a block north of Marina city and it was a very long and narrow station yet they run with both Engine 11 and Truck 9 and up until sometime in 1967 Truck 9 was using a Tillered Aerial Ladder. The last Tillered Aerial Ladder that they were using was a 1954 FWD (Four Wheel Drive) that had it’s 85 foot Wooden Aerial from the trailer and replaced by 100 foot Seagrave Metal Aerial on the trailer which was modified for the 100 foot Aerial which was put in service during September of 1963. Before that they were using a 1956 FWD , 85 foot wooden Tillered Aerial Ladder Truck with a long rear overhang, yet they managed to fit it into the station with Engine 11 which was using a 1954 Mack 1000 gpm pumping Engine at the time.During 1967 Engine 11 was replaced with one of Chicago’s first new Ward La France Engines and Truck 9 received Chicago’s first Seagrave/FWD rear mounted 100 foot Aerial Ladder truck. Truck 9 was the first due Truck in the northeastern section of the Loop (downtown) until the new station was opened at 55 W Dearborn on November 1st 1968 and even though Engine 11 and Truck 9’s house was the closest station to the new fire station ,Engine 42 and Truck 3 were moved into the new station while Engine 11 and Truck 9 were taken out of service just over 2 weeks later. Over 5 years later on March 13th,1974 both Engine 11 and Truck 9 were put back in service at their current station at 5343 N Cumberland.
#9 by Big Moe on December 18, 2014 - 7:18 PM
He appears to be operating a point-of-vantage line from the rooftop of a neighboring building in to an H shaped multiple dwelling or maybe a church.
#10 by tom sullivan on December 18, 2014 - 11:11 AM
that is a classic winter firefighting scene. I believe there was a 5-11 on hubbard st. in the late 50’s or early 60’s. but the photo could be from another fire in the downtown area. e-11 / t-9 old house was the one on hubbard.
ff fredericks is working from a “point of vantage” position.
the appliance is a “street jack and pipe” fed by a 3″ line. that would have been supplied by a 2 1/2″ and a 3″ line siamesed together.
a similar situation was just seen in photos of the fire at e-104s’ old house. companies were working from a point of vantage on that also.
#11 by Dennis on December 18, 2014 - 9:04 AM
Great picture Paul, Thanks for sharing.