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Volume 5 Issue 35

August 27, 2015

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Afire With Hope

211154

McHenry County News

Bonded Insured

By Anne Eickstadt Correspondent

D

’Andrea Banquets in Crystal Lake is the location of the first Dinner/Auction Fundraiser for the Northern Illinois Fire Museum (NIFM). The parking lot is lined with a number of historic fire trucks and equipment the NIFM seeks to preserve. Museum Curator, Steve James, is happy to talk about the machines. The oldest piece on display is the 1856 Hunneman pump. It was built by a student of Paul Revere. “This is a horse/hand drawn vehicle that is hand pumped. It can be easily moved by one man. It has been donated to the NIFM by the Harvard Fire Fighters Association.” “When a call for help went out during the Chicago Fire in 1871, Harvard responded. The Hunneman and 15 fire fighters were loaded onto a flatbed railroad car. The railroad provided the flatbed, an engine and a coal car along with an Engineer and a fireman. Intervening towns knew who they were and where they were going and “highballed” them straight through. They reached Chicago in 75 minutes, a new speed record for that era. They battled the fire in the Tannery District

Photo by Anne Eickstadt

1959 Ford Fire Truck carries a jazz band in 40 parades a year. It was owned by the Warrenville Fire Department.

for two days. “Upon completion of their assignment, they loaded the Hunneman back onto the flatcar and returned home.” Another vehicle on display also came to the NIFM from Harvard. This one had been utilized by the Harvard Rural Fire Department which was a

separate group from the Harvard City Fire Department. The two groups merged in 1960. A 1972 Maxim truck belonged to the Chicago Insurance Patrol. While not a part of the fire department, patrol members would respond to fire alarms also. They would

bring tarps to throw over people’s belongings, file cabinets, etc. to prevent water damage from the fire hoses. The Chicago Insurance Patrol operated until the fire department no longer allowed them to enter burning buildings. Several other vintage vehicles are also present, each

carrying its own unique piece of fire fighting history. Once these machines disappear, their history will also be lost. They are currently housed in a rented building just outside of Marengo that needs many repairs. These repairs

See HOPE, Page 3

Patriots in the Park By Anne Eickstadt Correspondent

MCHENRY — McHenry’s Veterans Park is dedicated today to a Patriots in the Park Family Fun Day. The Joe’s Wish Foundation is hosting this hometown picnic “to give back to a community of patriots who have been supportive in helping raise funds to support our local military families, veterans and veterans’ causes.” Colorful canopies shelter booths which cover a large segment of the park. The vast majority of booths are dedicated to veterans and their causes. Collier House, for example, offers temporary housing for families in crisis who have lost a loved one in the service of our country. Their 2015 campaign is to reach out to Gold Star families – families of those who have died in battle. The next Collier House

fundraising event will be a Spaghetti Dinner on November 7. www.collierhouse.org The McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission will educate vets about the benefit programs available to them. They can help with transportation and financial assistance and they will advocate with the VA for benefits, pension and healthcare for veterans and their families. The McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission has had an 80% success rate with cases this year. They are located at the McHenry County Government Center Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock, Illinois, 60098. Hundreds of US flags wave across a Field of Honor presented by the Veterans Network Committee of Northern

See PATRIOTS, Page 2

Photo by Anne Eickstadt

The Field of Honor flags wave for the many young men and women who have laid down their lives on the line of battle.


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