Community Corner
1924 Cartoon Celebrates Arrival of First Fire Engine
Comic shows community reaction to state-of-the-art fire engine.
Until 1924, the Village used a hand-drawn hose cart for fire protection. But, thanks to local fundraising efforts, the Village's 17-member volunteer fire department purchased a new motorized pumper for $6,052. The engine had a 300 gallons per minute pump and two 35-gallon soda acid tanks to put out fires. Manufactured by Buffalo Fire Apparatus, the engine was even featured in an International Harvester ad.
The cartoon, from the Western Springs Historical Society collection, appeared in the Western Springs Citizen, the local paper at the time and shows the community's reaction to the arrival of the new fire engine.
The department didn't add another engine until 1941.
