Hammond Fire Department - No. 1

Frank Leslie Morton, my great grandfather, was Hammond's first Fire Chief.  He was employed at the city's first industry, Hammond Meat Packing, and served in Hammond's first Volunteer Fire Department, and became Fire Chief when the city established a more formal fire fighting unit.

    The fire station and Hammond City Hall shared a building,  seen at the left of this picture, across from the Hammond Library just north of the downtown area.  
         
     
  Firehouse No. 1 - 1910 Photo   Firehouse No. 3 - 1910 Photo  
 

This 1889 photo was taken on the corner of Calumet Avenue and State Street. The men, (left to right) are identified as Paddy Adler, August Meyer, Johnny Meyer, Conrad Grieb, Ed Hilbrick, and Frank L. Morton

 
 
   
 
     
  Here are pictures taken inside the Fire Station, showing some of the Hammond Fire Fighters pulling up their pants and getting ready to slide down the fire pole.  

 

Barnes Family Photo

 

     

 

 

 

Here is another photo,  looking southeast. Don't ask about the young lady at the far left of the picture. I guess it was just pretty exciting hanging around the fire station with a lot of Hammond's finest!

 
         
         
       
 

Here is a 1910 photo of the fire station in Robertsdale (North Hammond).
High resolution photo may be enlarged to see excellent detail in this photograph.
The young boy holding the sign in the right front, states that the group won state honors.