Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department focuses on a significant addition made in 1906. That year, the department welcomed a brand-new American LaFrance "Metropolitan" 700-GPM second-size steam fire engine. This engine was unique because it required a three-horse hitch, marking the first time the EFD had acquired a vehicle that needed more than two horses to pull it. The price tag for this impressive piece of equipment was $5,500, and an additional $250 was spent on purchasing a new horse to join the two already assigned to Engine 1.
This Metropolitan steamer was a step up from the older Ahrens Metropolitan 600-GPM second-size steamer, which had been in service since 1895 and only had a two-horse hitch. The plan was initially to send the older Ahrens Metropolitan to the American LaFrance factory in Elmira, NY, for a full refurbishment. Once returned, it was expected to serve at Station No. 2. However, the Evanston City Council decided against funding the extra horses and personnel necessary to put the second steamer into active duty. Consequently, although the refurbished Ahrens Metropolitan was relocated to Station No. 2, it remained in reserve for several years until the city could afford the necessary resources.
The Metropolitan model was incredibly popular during its time, and while Evanston's new Metropolitan steamer was manufactured by American LaFrance, the older model had been produced by the Ahrens Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Chris Ahrens, the founder of Ahrens Manufacturing, invented the Metropolitan in the 1890s. Alongside Button, Clapp & Jones, and Silsby, Ahrens was one of the four companies that merged to create the American Fire Engine Company (AFEC) in 1891. The aim of this merger was to cut down on competition, unify the sales team, and increase profitability. Even though each company kept its individual identity, the production facilities for AFEC were located at the Ahrens plant in Cincinnati and the Silsby plant in Seneca Falls, NY. However, the benefits of this consolidation were limited since two major players, Amoskeag and LaFrance, chose not to join.
Ahrens was by far the largest and most successful of the four companies under the AFEC umbrella. They manufactured the Metropolitan in various sizes and sold them nationwide throughout the 1890s. Ahrens also created the "Columbian," a radical design that was heavy and somewhat unsuccessful. The Columbian combined both a standard steam engine and a hose supply-bed on one rig, which was not practical at the time. Fire chiefs generally preferred having separate rigs for these functions.
Meanwhile, while the American Fire Engine Company was trying to dominate the steam fire engine market, LaFrance was securing patents for the popular Hayes and Babcock aerial-ladder designs. By 1900, American Fire Engine Company had merged with LaFrance, Amoskeag, and others to form the International Fire Engine Company. The name was later changed to American-LaFrance Fire Engine Company in 1904 when production moved to the LaFrance plant in Elmira, NY. Despite high hopes, post-merger profits didn't meet expectations partly due to competition from a newcomer, the Seagrave Corporation in Columbus, OH. Seagrave specialized in chemical engines, hook & ladder trucks, and combination trucks, which proved highly competitive.
Chris Ahrens, seeking a new challenge after retiring, rediscovered his entrepreneurial drive in 1904. He, along with his sons and son-in-law (who was also the Cincinnati Fire Chief), founded the Ahrens Fire Engine Company at the old Ahrens plant in Cincinnati. Renamed Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine Company in 1908, it became the second-largest steam fire engine manufacturer and a key competitor for American-LaFrance. However, challenges arose because American-LaFrance retained all patents from the merged companies, including the Metropolitan patent. To avoid infringement, Chris Ahrens designed a new engine called the "Continental," which performed well. If the steam fire engine era hadn't ended abruptly in 1915, the Continental might have rivaled or even surpassed the Metropolitan in popularity.
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