“Prairie fire Burning all around us.” Diary of David Navarro Sr. Oct. 17, 1852. “Prairie burned between Smith house and Me.” Navarro diary Oct. 17, 1853. Fire was a part of the history of the area even before we had officially named the community. When David made these diary entries the area was called Hickory Grove, because there was a grove of Hickory trees. By 1853 Hickory Grove had been officially named Lane Station. The name had changed but David’s diary in 1863 had a familiar topic, “Fire in Lane, 11 buildings burned.” By 1861 Lane (Rochelle) had suffered another severe fire, lynched a possible arsonist, and was debating another name change. 

Why was fire such a problem? The basic answers are simple. The early buildings were crowded together and constructed almost exclusively of wood, there was little if any available water, and there was no viable method of putting the water on the fire. As any firefighter can tell you, “You need to put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” Rochelle was not alone. Many area communities: Ashton 1889, Byron 1896, Creston 1896, Davis Junction 1894, and Forreston 1878, had suffered from devastating fires for the same reasons. 

After yet another major fire in 1870, which destroyed seven buildings in the business district, the local officials created a “fire zone.” Any building built in the business district would have to be built of brick or stone. Anytime a building was destroyed or replaced it was replaced with a new fire-resistant structure.  The last three wooden buildings in the business district housed Rochelle Tap, Del Mar Restaurant, and The Lincoln Lounge. All three were lost to a fire in 1973, over 103 years after the ordinance was passed. 

Unlike the old western movies Rochelle did not have drinking troughs for horses in the downtown. The businesses did not have running water and there were no water mains or fire hydrants. The first attempt at a water supply involved placing a cistern beneath the streets of the business district. The cistern would hold several hundred gallons of water. The city officials voted in 1877 to install the community’s first water system. Water was drawn from Braiden’s Quarry (Spring Lake) by a Worthington duplex pump capable of moving 1,200 gallons per minute. The pump was powered by a 14-feet long, coal-fed steam boiler, with the water delivered through 3,000 feet of eight-inch water mains. The water line ran to the intersection of Main Street and Cherry Avenue. There were 12 fire hydrants with two hose connections each. 

The water pump was a marvel but only effective when staffed by a boiler operator. To add protection at night, when no one was on duty at the water plant, a water tower was erected next to the City Hall building in 1890. The water tower was 120 feet tall, 80 feet of stone and brick and 40 feet of water tank. The water tank contained 55,000 gallons of water and gravity fed into the main water system. The tower stayed in service until around 1915 at which time a night crew was hired. The water tower was removed in 1920. The water system continued to grow and today has hundreds of hydrants and over one million gallons of above-ground storage. 

Before 1864 fires were fought by “bucket brigades.” Initially leather, and later metal, water buckets were placed in stores and kept filled with sand or water for firefighting. A standard water bucket would hold just under three gallons of water. Just for fun, someday fill a bucket with water, run a block, and see how far you can throw the water. About half will spill during the run and less than half of what is left will travel 10 yards. Rochelle had its first Fireman’s Ball in 1863 and part of the money raised was used to purchase a first-class fire truck, Old Mose. Old Mose was a hand pump, horse (or man) drawn, wagon. When the alarm for fire was sounded citizens would run to the fire building and pull Old Mose to the closet cistern, a hose was dropped into the cistern and eight men (four per side) would pump the water from the cistern to the fire. How far the water could be sprayed depended on if eight people arrived to pump and how long before they became too exhausted to keep pumping. 

With the introduction of the steam water pump and hydrants in 1877, Old Mose became outdated, new hose carts were purchased. The hose cart was pulled to the fire hydrant, hose was connected, and then the hose cart was pulled to the fire. Once at the fire the water department was notified to stoke the boiler and increase the pressure in the water mains. How far the water could be thrown was determined by boiler pressure, how much hose was used, and whether the hose was running uphill or downhill, yes even gravity could be a friend or foe. 

The first motorized fire truck was purchased in 1911. This vehicle had a 40-gallon water tank and hose. Unfortunately, the truck did not have a pump, it was a chemical truck. The driver would drive the truck to the fire, drop a soda block into the water tank, add a small amount of acid to activate the soda, and close the cap to the tank. The pressure in the water tank would rise sufficiently to spray the water. Sadly 40 gallons of water lasts less than one minute, the tank needs to be refilled, and the process repeated.  

The first step into modern firefighting was taken in 1924. The Rochelle newspaper told the story. “The new fire truck has arrived and it is a hum-dinger. A demonstration was given yesterday afternoon which proved very satisfactory. One feature of the demonstration was an experiment at the Central School, where a fire alarm was turned on without the children’s knowledge. The building was emptied in about two minutes and the water was thrown over the highest point of the school without touching it.” 

The new fire truck was nick named “Gertie” and can be seen at the Rochelle Fire Department Museum behind the fire station at 401 Fifth Ave.

Tom McDermott is a Flagg Township Museum historian and Rochelle city councilman.