The History of the Evanston Fire Department: A Closer Look On December 5, 1897, a dramatic and dangerous incident unfolded when a lamp exploded in the engine room of the steamer *Morley*, a 1,000-ton vessel measuring 193 feet long, with a crew of 12. The ship was located half a mile offshore from Evanston on Lake Michigan. The fire was spotted by a resident of 305 Davis Street, who immediately alerted the Evanston Fire Department (EFD). Chief Sam Harrison quickly called for “City of Evanston No. 1†and all available hose in town. Once the steamer and the hose carts arrived, Harrison made a daring decision to go out to the stricken ship using the Northwestern University Life Saving Crew’s surf boat. He dragged nearly half a mile of hose behind him. Upon reaching the *Morley*, he was warned that the boilers could explode at any moment. Despite the danger, Harrison bravely attacked the fire, managing to extinguish it in one of the coal bunkers. As he prepared to douse the second bunker, flames surged past him, forcing him to abandon the ship. The fire continued to burn for another eight hours, drawing a large crowd to the beaches of Evanston. Fortunately, both Chief Harrison and all twelve members of the *Morley*’s crew escaped without injury. Two years later, on August 22, 1899, a devastating fire struck the home of Judge Harvey B. Hurd, a prominent and influential figure in Evanston. He had served as the first Evanston Town Board President in 1864. The fire heavily damaged his residence and destroyed several nearby buildings at Davis and Ridge streets. Judge Hurd was particularly critical of the EFD’s response, pointing out that the steam fire engine was not dispatched to the initial alarm, and the Waterworks engineer failed to increase water pressure when it was needed. A subsequent investigation by the Evanston City Council found that while existing policies were followed, they needed to be revised. As a result, the steam fire engine would now respond to all fire alarms, and water pressure would be increased in the mains whenever a fire was reported, even before confirmation. This policy change, implemented in 1900, eventually led to the collapse of some city water mains in 1912, prompting a shift away from direct-pressure (plug-pressure) use except in rare cases. As part of the reforms following the Hurd fire, the city council also recognized the need for more manpower and a third fire station. In 1900, $10,000 was allocated for the construction of a new fire station in North Evanston, located within a quarter-mile of the C&NW RR Central Street depot. With the opening of Fire Station #3, each of the three C&NW RR depots was within a quarter-mile of a fire station. On January 31, 1901, a horse-drawn hose wagon, two horses, and three full-time firefighters were assigned to the new station at 2504 West Railroad Avenue, later known as Green Bay Road. A third firefighter was also stationed at Fire Station #2 in South Evanston. Additionally, the chief received a horse-drawn buggy and a driver who also acted as his secretary. This expansion brought the total number of EFD personnel to 19, including 12 firefighters at Station #1, three at Station #2, three at Station #3, and the chief, who worked either from his office or home. By 1901, the EFD had 14 horses in service—ten at Station #1, two at Station #2, and two at Station #3. Station #1 was equipped with the Ahrens Metropolitan 2nd size steamer, a two-axle four-wheeled hose wagon, the Babcock chemical engine, the Davenport H&L (the only ladder truck in town), and the chief’s buggy. All five vehicles used a two-horse hitch. Stations #2 and #3 operated with similar two-axle hose wagons, each fitted with a two-horse hitch. These three hose wagons formed the backbone of the EFD between 1901 and 1907, each carrying 1,250 feet of high-quality 2½-inch hose, various nozzles, fire extinguishers, and hand tools. Direct-pressure (plug-pressure) was still used routinely during this time. To read all the installments of this history, click HERE TSRIpromo has sourcing , https://www.tsripromo.com