The "Long John" Fire Engine?
Date: March 08, 2015 10:18PM
In February of 1858, Chicago acquired and tested its first steam fire engine, named the "Long John", after Mayor John Wentworth. The volunteer fire people did not like being replaced by a fire engine.
The photo, a view northeast, taken by the photographer Alexander Hesler from the tower of the Court House, was also taken in the year 1858; and I suspect that the "Long John" fire engine could well have been the vehicle with the tall vertical exhaust pipe, that appears on Clark Street, very near Randolph.
http://www.greatchicagofire.org/item/ichi-05740
A sketch of the "Long John" fire engine shown here on page 68:
https://books.google.com/books?id=_idEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=long+john+steam+fire+engine+chicago&source=bl&ots=xsf0xTVwh-&sig=yEdTjc-TWzcHlFJHWaFB3R-SpoY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FsT8VJaECZL-gwTV8YPABQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=long%20john%20steam%20fire%20engine%20chicago&f=false
What are your thoughts; could this be the one and same fire engine?