Forgotten Fire Houses


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Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: chuck (---.dsl.emhril.ameritech.net)
Date: March 27, 2008 12:20AM

Not sure if this one will be covered in future parts...



Anyone know the history of the stockyards firehouse?

Chuck
http://www.chucksphotospot.com

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 27, 2008 03:29AM

The firehouse [somewhere] was used in the CBS 'Early Edition' TV show. Was supposed to the the bar Kyle Chandler's character ran, in season 2 to the end. I don't know if the interior scenes were shot inside,

If not correct, please post and I will retract,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2008 12:09AM by tomcat630.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: chuck (---.176.244.66.biz.sta.networkgci.net)
Date: March 27, 2008 11:41AM

The bar scenes were shot at Cactus on south Wells.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Jacob (---.arm-bsr1.chi-arm.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: March 27, 2008 06:45PM

There were several firehouses in the Stockyards, that one was built in the 20s, I believe. It will definately be included in a future page; we're actually pretty certain that we know of every disused firehouse in the city.

--
Jacob Kaplan - Editor
Forgotten Chicago

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: joemuse (---.65.146.216.ded.desksinc.com)
Date: April 04, 2008 01:48PM

Pretty sure the firehouse used in "Early Edition" was the one at 228 W. Illinois.

I used to work there for a month when it was a wooden furniture design/builder. Pretty interesting building for sure - got really cold in winter though! I believe it is owned by the owners of Gene & Gergetti's (across the street).

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: retiredchief (---.desm.qwest.net)
Date: December 22, 2009 03:49AM

Hello, Chuck...
The old firehouse in your photograph was the house of Engine 53. It was built in
1919 and the company moved in in February of that year. Although the area looks
pretty forlorn now, this house used to be right in the middle of the bustling
stockyards with animal chutes and pens and various stockyard buildings surrouding
it. Engine 53's first house was a wood frame structure built in 1889 which sat
directly behind the brick house and faced North. It was torn down when the new
house was built. The house was closed in 1964 and Engine 53 was moved to Engine
80's house on South Doty Ave.

The other stockyards firehouse is Engine 59's house on Exchange Avenue just East
of the big stone gate. This house was built in 1934 after the company's original
house at that location was destroyed in the 1934 stockyards fire. This house was
closed in 1979 and Engine 59 moved to Truck 47's house on N. Ridge Ave.

Fire protection was a huge problem in the stockyards. The complex was a veritable
maze of buildings, chutes and pens all made of wood. It was difficult to manuver
fire apparatus within the area and water supply was inadequate since the yards had
it's own private water system,much inferior to Chicago's high volume system.
The CFD's initial assignment to any alarm within the stockyards area was a full
box response of four engines, two trucks, one squad, a fire patrol rig and a
chief. The fire risk was considered that great.

The stockyards was the scene of many multiple alarm fires over the years. The
largest being the 1934 colflagration. The most serious and saddest fire occured
on December 22, 1910 when a fire and building collapse at the Nelson-Morris
warehouse claimed the lives of 21 of my brother Chicago firefighters. A memorial
to them stands just West of the stone gate on Exchange Avenue.

The stockyards closed in 1971.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: December 23, 2009 09:38PM

Jacob, I have one more inactive firehouse that I bet very few people know about. I have a 1910 era real photo postcard showing Engine Co. 49 at 47th & Marshfield. I know there was a newer house at 45th & Marshfield (inactive) listed as Truck Co. 33. The old frame Engine 49 building still stands at 4712 S. Marshfield. Here is a link to it.

http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/Property_Search/property_details.aspx?pin=20072060290000

In that link there is an option under the photo for historical photo. You can see what it looked like in 2000. The building has been haphazardly converted into an apartment building. Tax records indicate that the house was built in 1888.

I have tried to no avail to post photo's on this site. If I could I would post a scan of the vintage image.





Edited 11 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2009 05:22AM by Berwyn Frank.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: querencia (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 02, 2010 10:41PM

As I found this thread I just one hour ago was viewing the section of Forgotten Chicago that lists disused firehouses (with photographs). Amazing how many of them are now used for other purposes such as residence and business. Old Public Baths also.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Richard Stachowski (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 03, 2010 03:19PM

4712 s. Marshfield. This used to be a second hand shop in the 40's where I bought some old radio equipement. That was my old niehborhood so it must have been a fire station way before my time. I'm 73 years old and was raised in the Back of the Yards.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Way Back (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 13, 2010 07:48PM

There was a firehouse at Diversey and Fairfield. I think it was closed when the Kennedy Expressway was built. You could see the Walton Rug sign on the roof from the expressway. A replacement firehouse was built on Elston Avenue.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: DMcInerney (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 09, 2010 02:20AM

The firehouse at Diversey and Fairfield is Engine 106 and Truck 13's old house, the closing of which was necessitated by the building of the Kennedy. They are currently at 3401 N. Elston Avenue.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Cragin Spring (---.dhcp.ftbg.wi.charter.com)
Date: February 05, 2015 04:27PM

Former Engine Co. 68: 1642 N. Kostner. Its been demolished.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Dunning1 (---.dhs.gov)
Date: February 05, 2015 05:28PM

Just across the street from there right on the corner of Grand and Kostner, there used to be a two or three story building that housed some sort of dancing school back in the 1950's and 1960's. My uncle, who grew up in the area, told me that it used to be the Keystone Emergency Hospital, and usually only DOA or near DOA cases would be taken there. I imagine he would have known as he had a part time job picking up bodies for an undertaker on Armitage Avenue back in the Depression.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Cragin Spring (---.dhcp.ftbg.wi.charter.com)
Date: February 05, 2015 10:18PM

Keystone Hospital, 1623 N. Kostner Ave. interesting you knew about that. I found this. Criminal George Barker was taken there in 1932. http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id124.htm

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Longford (---.c3-0.arm-ubr1.chi-arm.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: February 07, 2015 06:07PM

My grandmother lived across the alley from Engine 101 and Ambulance 14, at 69th & Justine in West Englewood and, on and off, we lived with her when I was in grade school. The firehouse has long ago been demolished. I was a "Jr. Firefighter" and because my dad had died when I was just 5 the firehouse sort of adopted me and, in the Summer months, I'd spend many nights sleeping at the firehouse, riding the fire truck to fires, etc. I should have, could have become a fireman. Something I regret not having done.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Eric F (---.260.popsite.net)
Date: February 08, 2015 01:21AM

I lived across the street from Engine Co 84 at 5711 S Halsted. Used to run to the window everytime they had a call. Then I went to school across the street from the firehouse that was at the NE corner of 53rd-Wood.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: jvp55 (---.lightspeed.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: February 11, 2015 04:09PM

There is another old firehouse at 1244 n wells that is now a spa.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: jerimiah37 (---.sd.sd.cox.net)
Date: February 12, 2015 07:12PM

Engine 128 at 2100 W. Eastwood was built in 1936 by the WPA. It was recently converted into a private residence.

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: rjmachon (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 12, 2015 07:57PM

Engine Company 59, Truck 47 at 5714 N. Ridge Ave. built in 1928 closed a few years back. This was sold and being renovated.


There was one fire house at Ashland Ave. (5400 North) Balmoral Ave. that closed a while back. It is the Edgewater Historical Society now!

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Re: Forgotten Fire Houses
Posted by: Richard Stachowski (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 12, 2015 11:26PM

Berwyn Frank Wrote: That was a radio store back in the 40's. I bought a used Atwaterkent radio there. The fire house must have closed way before that.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jacob, I have one more inactive firehouse that I
> bet very few people know about. I have a 1910 era
> real photo postcard showing Engine Co. 49 at 47th
> & Marshfield. I know there was a newer house at
> 45th & Marshfield (inactive) listed as Truck Co.
> 33. The old frame Engine 49 building still stands
> at 4712 S. Marshfield. Here is a link to it.
>
> http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/Property_Search/
> property_details.aspx?pin=20072060290000
>
> In that link there is an option under the photo
> for historical photo. You can see what it looked
> like in 2000. The building has been haphazardly
> converted into an apartment building. Tax records
> indicate that the house was built in 1888.
>
> I have tried to no avail to post photo's on this
> site. If I could I would post a scan of the
> vintage image.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/45824406@N05/42093471
> 95/

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