THE FIRE FIGHTERS OF DIXON
It was not unusual to see men, women and children fighting a fire
in earlier days. Towns that sprang up did not have fire protection as
is the case of our cities and towns of today. Fire fighters were then
known as the "bucket brigade" and generally anyone that showed up at
the scene of a fire were put to work and utilized in helping. Water
was usually taken from nearby wells, cisterns and even horse troughs.
Only fires which were near the river could be fought with an
unlimited supply of water. Stories from as early as 1861 show the
first fire chief being called "Inspector of the firewood."
On April 18, 1872 the Illinois General Assembly gave approval for
a corporation known as the "Monitor Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 of
Dixon, Illinois." A fire fighting company was organized by Noah G.
Bittner, William Saimby, John A. Stumpf, Carleton and Corydon Cropsey
and were finally granted a charter by Illinois Secretary of State,
Henry D. Dement in August of 1881.
Dixon's early day firemen would answer alarms by pulling a cart
containing a tank and water hoses to the scene of the fire. The
buildings in those early days were made of wood or stone and only a
few had tin roofs. In most instances if a fire had much of a start
before being discovered, there was little hope of saving the building
or in some cases, those around it.
By 1878 the firemen were getting state and national acclaim for
their ability. During that year a team went to Chicago for
competition and won the state contest and finished third nationally.
The 1878 team had pulled their loaded cart of equipment 400 yards,
raised a 30 foot ladder and had a man ascend it in just under 67
seconds. The 1902, 1903 and 1905 Dixon teams were also state
champions.
Early fire departments offered no pay to the firemen as the
prestige of serving was considered salary enough. By September of
1898 the city established the first paid fir department when C. Cupp,
F. Coffey, G. Detrick and A. Gruff were put on the payroll.
The first fire station built in Dixon occurred in 1871 with a
building located at Second Street and Hennepin Avenue which is the
site of the present city hall, and then faced west to Hennepin
Avenue. Rooms on the upper floor were used for meetings and the lower
area was for fire equipment. Horses were later used to pull their
fire wagons and carts loaded with equipment and stopped running to
fires. Present fire department quarters were constructed in 1907 with
the horses stabled in the rear of the present fire department.
Pulleys were used to hold the harness up against the ceiling. The
horses would be backed into position and the harness was lowered into
place and the hookup to the cart or wagon was made. Sleeping quarters
for today's firemen were used the for storage of hay and oats for the
horses. Just prior to World War I the department started using motor
driven vehicles.
As early as 1869 the city had pressurized water when the Water
Power Company installed a rotary pump with a rated capacity of 1,200
gallons per minute. The city assumed responsibility for this pump
when the fire department was formed along with 600 feet of hose. An
additional 1,000 feet of hose, hose reels, hook and ladder truck and
other necessary equipment was purchased.
During the winter of 1871-1872 water mains were laid from the
pump to the corner of Galena and Main (First Street today) and then
to the corner of Second and Hennepin. By 1876 the city had put in a
piston pump which was now capable of operating at 1,600 gallons a
minute. Problems arose as the small water mains previously laid
prevented the pump from being used at full capacity.
There have been a number of major fires in Dixon and early
records show that on Aug. 2, 1856 a stable belonging to the Mansion
House burned down. It was at the time believed to be arson and eleven
horses perished in that fire. On Oct. 14, 1859 a total of 20
businessmen were victims of flames when seventeen buildings burned
covering more than half a block on both sides of Main Street. Dixon's
first fire fatality was recorded on Feb. 8, 1865 when a house in
Dement Town, which belonged to Col. John Dement, burned down at 3
a.m. in the morning. The house occupied by a Mr. Peifer, who died
trying to save valuables from the fire.
An industrial fire on March 12, 1873 destroyed Knitting Mills,
the roof of the Flax Company and machinery. On April 8, 1880 probably
the most disastrous fire ever in Dixon occurred in what was then the
heart of the industrial area, the Water Power site near the river.
W.P. Thompson's Flouring Mill and S.C. Bell's Flax and Bagging
Factory were destroyed. The Amboy Fire Department had been
telegraphed for assistance, arriving in time to save Brown's Machine
Shop, John Dement's Flax Mill and the Curtis Plow Factory. The Pump
House by this time was burned and the Dixon Hose Company joined in
with the citizens to complete a bucket line. Estimated loss of this
fire was $250,000 at the time.
June 23, 1903, a major fire at the Dixon Opera House which
destroyed completely the roof and second and third floors of the
building. Mrs. E.M. Truman who owned the building announced shortly
after the fire that the Opera House would be rebuilt as quickly as
possible. Some 17 years later on Feb. 17, 1920 the Opera House
sustained another fire and now was gone. The Evening Telegraph
reported the next day that, "A blackened stone wall and a pit filled
with charred smoking and steaming debris are today all that remain of
the three-story building known as the Dixon Opera House Block, the
home of five business institutions, a physician, a shoe-shining
parlor and the city's only 'legitimate' playhouse." It was reported
that over 1,000,000 gallons of water were used on the flames of this
fire. Numerous other fires throughout the city's history have left
their mark for not only the business but also in the residential,
church and school establishments.
Other than the modern day equipment used and the methods employed
to fight the fires, along with many more services provided today
there is not much difference in the firemen of today compared to
those of yesteryear. There still remains that important ingredient,
and that is they are still dedicated to serving their community,
protecting property and saving lives.
Now-a-days you can visit the firehouse and perhaps don a
fireman's hat, sit behind the steering wheel of a massive fire truck
and even get to ring the fire bell. But somehow, it's just not the
same as in the old days when the horses would anxiously await your
visit, along with the sack you carried containing a few apples or
carrots.
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