Every week we publish a historic photo highlighting a story from Naperville’s past from the history archives of Naper Settlement.
The creation of the Naperville Fire Department was instigated, in part, when the city had to call the Aurora Fire Department for help when the New York House Hotel was going up in flames on July 6, 1874.
Before that, fires were handled by “bucket brigades” but the need to have better services was made evident by the downtown blaze.
The first volunteer fire company was established in September 1874, with the village council voting two months later to spend $1,752.50 to purchase a fire engine, hose cart, speaking trumpets, brooms and 700 feet of 2½-inch diameter hose.
All the rules and regulations for the Naperville Fire Department were established when an ordinance was approved by the council on Jan. 2, 1875. Among the requirements were monthly fire drills to be supervised by the fire marshal, who also oversaw the companies, served as fire scene commander, regulated flammables and inspected buildings.
All department members were required to parade in uniform with their apparatus in front of the council annually.
In 1875, officials decided the new fire department should have its own building. They set up shop in the former DuPage County Courthouse at Central Park.
In 1887, the department purchased a Silsby Stream Fire Engine — called The Enterprise — for $2,800. The hand-pump engine was pulled by a team of horses from a stable near the fire house. That engine was used until 1906, when it was replaced by steam engine.
The council decided in 1888 that the converted fire house had served its purpose and a new fire station was needed. Naperville purchased the Sieber property at 126 W. Jefferson Ave., between Main and Webster streets, for $3,000.
When Naperville became a city in 1890, it expanded the office of fire marshal to include a chief engineer and two assistants so that fire safety duties could be expanded. The top officials were given annual salaries but the firefighters were on call and paid as needed — 75 cents for the first hour of work and 25 cents for each hour after.
The city’s first fire hydrants were installed in 1906. A year later, the department was organized into four districts, each with its own hose cart.
In 1916, one of those carts was replaced with an International Chemical Engine. It was the first motorized apparatus in Naperville history.
The next big change occurred in 1924, when the city purchased a motorized fire truck capable of pumping 1,000 gallons of water per minute from Ahrens-Fox Co. of Cincinnati. The $13,000 price included the hose.
That same year, Ralph Hermes, an engineer, became the city’s first full-time firefighter. He lived in an apartment above the fire station.
When the fire department was formally incorporated in 1932, it was charged with promoting educational, social and charitable objectives.
In 1954, ground was broken for a new station at 133 W. Jefferson Ave. but in order to avoid going into debt to build it, construction was done as money became available. The four-bay combination police and fire facility finally opened in 1957.
As the city expanded — one annexation in the 1960 alone doubled the town’s acreage — there was a need for more fire-fighting equipment. And with longer distances to be traveled, using volunteer firefighters started becoming impractical. The paid-on-call system was eventually phased out in favor of hiring full-time employees.
Station No. 2 opened in 1977 at Bailey Road and Naper Boulevard. Today, the fire department has 10 fire stations.
Naper Settlement’s new exhibit, “A Strong Back and A Strong Mind: 150 Years of the Naperville Fire Department,” opens Tuesday, May 7. It details how Naperville and its fire department grew together.
There’s also more information on the fire department’s history available at www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/npl/id/11309.
Andrea Field is the curator of history at Naper Settlement. For more information, go to www.NaperSettlement.org. Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
