Evanston Fire Department History – Part 15

THE METROPOLITAN

In March 1906, the Evanston Fire Department welcomed a new American LaFrance "Metropolitan" steam fire engine with a 700-GPM capacity, marking a significant upgrade from its previous equipment. This second-size engine required three horses to pull it, compared to the two-horse team used for the older Ahrens Metropolitan model. The new engine cost $5,500, and an additional $250 was spent on a new horse to replace one that had been lost. This was a major investment, but it reflected the growing needs of the department as the city expanded. The original Ahrens Metropolitan, which had served since 1895, was scheduled for a complete overhaul at the American LaFrance factory in Elmira, NY, and then to be stationed at Station #2. However, the city council refused to fund the purchase of more horses or additional personnel, so the older engine remained in reserve for several years until the necessary resources were available. The Metropolitan was one of the most popular steam engines of its time. While Evanston's new engine came from American LaFrance, the older one was built by the Ahrens Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati. Chris Ahrens, the inventor of the Metropolitan, was a key figure in the early development of steam fire apparatus. He was part of the group that formed the American Fire Engine Company (AFEC) in 1891, a merger aimed at reducing competition and increasing profits. Although AFEC included four major manufacturers—Ahrens, Button, Clapp & Jones, and Silsby—the lack of participation from companies like Amoskeag and LaFrance limited its impact. Ahrens quickly became the dominant player in the industry, producing the Metropolitan in various sizes and selling them to fire departments across the country. But not all of their innovations were successful. The “Columbian” was a bold attempt to combine a steam engine with a hose supply bed, but it failed to gain widespread acceptance due to its complexity and weight. Meanwhile, LaFrance was building its own empire by acquiring key patents for aerial ladders, giving it control over a large portion of the market. In 1900, the formation of the International Fire Engine Company brought together many of the leading manufacturers, including LaFrance, Amoskeag, and others. However, this consolidation didn’t last long, as the rise of new competitors like Seagrave challenged the old guard. Seagrave, based in Columbus, Ohio, focused on horse-drawn chemical engines and combination trucks, which proved very popular. Their aerial ladder trucks also gained traction, competing directly with LaFrance’s designs. Back in Cincinnati, Chris Ahrens, tired of retirement, re-entered the business in 1904, forming the Ahrens Fire Engine Company with his sons and son-in-law, Charles H. Fox. By 1908, the company was renamed Ahrens-Fox, and it quickly became a strong competitor to American-LaFrance. But Ahrens-Fox faced challenges. Because American-LaFrance held the patent for the Metropolitan, they couldn’t build that model. So Chris Ahrens designed the “Continental,” a new steam engine that avoided patent issues. It sold well and could have rivaled the Metropolitan if the steam engine era hadn’t come to an end in 1915.