|
GARY DAILY TRIBUNE, Dec. 15, 1915
Lake County Info--Gary, Indiana History
7th Anniversary of Fire Department
The Gary fire department yesterday
celebrated its seventh anniversary. Three members at this time,
only, are among the seven men who were members of the first
department, organized December 14, 1908. They are are Captain Frank
undine of No. 2 company, Captain Patrick Rogers of Truck company No.
1 and Captain Charles Smith of Hose company No. 3.
The department seven years ago consisted
of seven men, one horse and an out of date hose wagon, which was
housed in a frame building opposite the present city hall. So cold
was the temporary shack that the firemen were obliged to stay across
the street in the frame police station and await telephone calls to
fires. It was a year later before the first automobile fire truck
was bought and the truck at that time was the first auto fire truck
in the state. The old station station now stands at Ninth avenue and
Broadway and is used by Pa- McCormick at a blacksmith shop.
Today the department has eight
--automobile trucks, no horses and 4-men. The equipment is valued at
$105,000. There are five fire stations.
One year ago today, on the departments
sixth anniversary, one of the biggest fires in the past few years
broke out in the Fabianski block, sixteenth avenue and Broadway.
Submitter - Ken Curtis
Email - bkcurtis@prodigy.net
|