Monday, May 29, 2006
Roger Dreher Explains Northern Illinois Fire Museum
Crystal Lake’s City Clerk Roger Dreher wears many hats. One of them is a fireman’s.
A retired United Airlines pilot from Denver, Dreher spent his spare time for 18 years on the Crystal Lake Fire Department since moving the Crystal Lake in 1968, becoming its chief engineer before retiring.
He is so into fire protection that he has his own 1928 75-gallon soda acid fire truck, seen here with Dreher in front. The big wheel is used to turn the soda tank over so it can fight a fire, working something like the large fire extinguishers that used to be in school buildings. (Click to enlarge the photograph.)
When Marengo’s recently retired Fire Chief Ross Kitchen decided to retire as president of the Northern Illinois Fire Museum, a 30-person organization, Dreher says he was the only one who “didn’t take four steps back.”
Now, “talking about the fire museum and the fire service is a love of mine,” he told Crystal Lake Kiwanis at the group’s Wednesday luncheon.
The museum is temporarily located in a Meyer Materials building on Route 23 south of Marengo. They have 10 vehicles, including motorized and—on loan from Harvard—the 1851 hand pumper cart used in the 1879 Chicago Fire.
The Museum is open for tours (call815-568-8950) and will soon give its first to the Marengo High School shop class, which has been manufacturing parts for the fire equipment.
The group has $50,000 in the bank as a result of what is euphemistically called a “member initiative” of former State Senator Dick Klemm.
Of course, the organization will need much more than that amount to purchase property and construct a building.
Dreher served two terms on the city council under former Mayor Carl Whede before being elected city clerk.
A retired United Airlines pilot from Denver, Dreher spent his spare time for 18 years on the Crystal Lake Fire Department since moving the Crystal Lake in 1968, becoming its chief engineer before retiring.
He is so into fire protection that he has his own 1928 75-gallon soda acid fire truck, seen here with Dreher in front. The big wheel is used to turn the soda tank over so it can fight a fire, working something like the large fire extinguishers that used to be in school buildings. (Click to enlarge the photograph.)When Marengo’s recently retired Fire Chief Ross Kitchen decided to retire as president of the Northern Illinois Fire Museum, a 30-person organization, Dreher says he was the only one who “didn’t take four steps back.”
Now, “talking about the fire museum and the fire service is a love of mine,” he told Crystal Lake Kiwanis at the group’s Wednesday luncheon.
The museum is temporarily located in a Meyer Materials building on Route 23 south of Marengo. They have 10 vehicles, including motorized and—on loan from Harvard—the 1851 hand pumper cart used in the 1879 Chicago Fire.
The Museum is open for tours (call815-568-8950) and will soon give its first to the Marengo High School shop class, which has been manufacturing parts for the fire equipment.
The group has $50,000 in the bank as a result of what is euphemistically called a “member initiative” of former State Senator Dick Klemm.
Of course, the organization will need much more than that amount to purchase property and construct a building.
Dreher served two terms on the city council under former Mayor Carl Whede before being elected city clerk.
