A New Fire Truck for Christmas

You may remember an earlier post that included a of photo of Fred Rose, Sr. and what looked like a very new American LaFrance fire truck. Now we have a story about the arrival of that fire truck, like an early present for Christmas 1920:


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From the Hobart News of 23 Dec. 1920.

Considering all the greenery in that first photo in my earlier post, I suppose it could not have been taken before the spring of 1921.

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A few weeks later, Fred reported to the town board that a telephone had been installed in the fire engine house. Its number: 0. ("Town Board Doings," Hobart Gazette 14 Jan. 1921.)

Fred and his Fire Truck

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Images courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

Two views of Fred Rose, Sr., and the Hobart Fire Department's fire truck. Notes on the back of one of them read:

Fire Station at Fourth Street and Lake George. Fred Rose, Senior became town fire marshal and town marshal in 1901, becoming fire chief and chief of police when Hobart became a city in 1921. In 1936 the jobs were split and Rose retained the fire chief post until 1941.

In the top picture, in the background at left you can see what I believe is the Nickel Plate bridge over Lake George, which gives you some idea of where this fire station was.

Neither picture is dated, but this is probably Hobart's first fire truck. From the Hobart Fire Department's 50th anniversary program:

Proud indeed was the city of Hobart when the American LaFrance 500 gallon pumper engine was purchased in 1920. This truck is used today [1943] as an auxiliary to the American LaFrance 750 gallon pumper and booster tank streamlined truck which the city bought in 1940.

If this is that first truck, the photos must date between 1920 and (probably) 1940; judging by Fred's clothes and apparent age, I would put the first one closer to 1920 (Fred was then 53 years old), the second perhaps 10 or 15 years later.

I don't doubt he was proud of that fire truck; in his place, I would have been, too.

Hobart Fire Department Racing Team

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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

No names attached to this photo. No date, either, but the mounting board is embossed: "A. Haase/Hobart, Ind." August Haase operated a photo studio in Hobart from late 1902 through 1911 (perhaps a little into 1912, I'm not sure).

We learned from the history written for the department's 50th anniversary that in the early days, when a team of horses "was not handy" the firemen themselves had to pull the equipment, so, although this occasion looks festive (maybe part of a July 4 celebration?), there were times when they weren't racing for fun.

I can't identify the location. It looks quite civilized, with a nice sidewalk or footpath beside the road. There's a house in the far background, but I don't recognize it.

Hobart's First Volunteer Fire Department

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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

Front row, left to right: Fred Rose, Sr.; Alwin Wild
Second row: Frank MacPherson, Fred Werner, Dick Davis, Mike Fleck, Herman Clausen, William Pyatt, George Maybaum, Fred Maybaum, Alfred Johnson
Third row: Gust Busse, A.D. Buchanan, Herman Tabbert, William Jahnke, Ed Batterman, Fred Englebreth, A.J. Swanson, Frank Scharbach

Found an original of the 1895 group shot. Some anonymous hand has written "1891" on this.

Fire Department Banquet, 1914

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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

First row left, front to back: Fred Scharbach, Dan Kraft, Louis Wischman, Emil Scharbach, Fred Maybaum
Second row: Ed Keilman, George Maybaum, Mike Fleck, Sherman Henderson, Frank Beltzhoover, Frank Johnson
Third row: Barney Scharbach, Emil Hasse, Lewis Barnes, Fred Kaska, William Newman, Charlie Kietzman.
Fourth row: George Tabbert, Martin Swanson, Calvin Scholler, Eugene Butler, Jake Ittel.
Fifth row: A.J. Smith, William Scharbach, Alwin Wild, William Jahnke, Fred Rose, Sr., Robert Scholler.

Found an original of the banquet photo that was reproduced in the 50th anniversary program that Swooz sent in. I thought I'd scan the original so that you can see the details a little more clearly.

Hobart Fire Department's 50th Anniversary

A reader has kindly sent in scans of a souvenir program printed up for the Hobart Fire Department's 50th anniversary celebration in 1943. The booklet included a photo of a firemen's banquet in 1914 with all the participants identified; many of the names are familiar. The main text is a history of the fire department. The whole thing is thick with advertisements from local businesses of that time. In other words, lots of information.

All images in this post courtesy of Swooz.
Click on images to enlarge.

















For search-engine purposes I'm typing out the names of people and businesses in the program (so that fire-department descendants can find this post if they are searching the internet for information about their ancestors): John Ahrens; William Alexander; Alex Ballantyne; Don Ballantyne; J.M. Ballantyne; Clarence Barnes; Lewis Barnes; B.S. Barr; S. Barr; August Batterman; Ed Batterman; Harry Bauer; Frank Beltzhoover; Fred Black; L. Black; Blair's Royal Blue Store; William Bolt [Boldt?]; Charles Borger; Dell Brown; Eugene Butler; J.H. Carpenter; Carter's Phillips "66" Service Station; City Cab; Clip & Curl Beauty Salon; J.H. Conroy; C. Corey; Cressmore Country Club; Adam Diedrick; Jake Fiester; John L. Fiester; Mike Fleck; B. Fleming; Douglas Fleming; S.B. Fleming; Glenn's Toggery & Cleaners; John Green, Jr.; N. Greenspan; Gresser's Barber Shop; Charles Gruel; E. Guyer; George Hadsell; Kenny Halstead; Floyd Harrigan; Emil Hasse; Sherman Henderson; John Hillman; Hobart Bowling Alley; Hobart Plumbing and Heating; Home Grocery; Henry Ittel; Jake Ittel; William Jahnke; Joe's Cash & Carry Market; Albert Johnson; Betty Kane; Fred Kaska; Ed Keilman; Thomas Kelly; Charlie Kietzman; John Killigrew; Kinsman's Barber Shop; E.G. Kittredge; Elmer Kittredge; R.E. Kittredge; William Kostbade; Dan Kraft; Chris Kramer; Jacob Kramer; Kenneth W. Kramer; Louis Kramer; Chris Kramer Jr.; R. Lautzenhiser; Seward Lightner; Frank MacPherson; Oscar Mason; Maureen's Beauty Shop; Fred Maybaum; George Maybaum; Harry D. Mitchell; J.B. Mitchell; Moehl's Garage; Mundell's Flower Shop; Claude E. Nelson; E. Neumann; William Newman; Northern Indiana Public Service Company; Pat O'Boyle; Ed Odell; W.B. Owen; Herbert C. Prage; Roper Bros.; James Roper, Jr.; Fred Rose, Sr.; Sam Routes; Fred Ruchti, Jr.; Barney Scharbach; Emil Scharbach; Frank Scharbach; Fred Scharbach; William Scharbach; Calvin Scholler; Dan Scholler; Robert Scholler; Scholler's Blacksmith Shop; Ronney Shearer; Siegesmund I.G.A. Store; Ed Simon; A.J. Smith; S.A. Smith; Sohn's Dress & Gift Shop; Robert Specht; Springman's Grocery; H. Stevens; Willard Stevens; George Stocker; B.W. Strattan; A.J. Swanson; Frank Swanson; Martin Swanson; George Tabbert; Herman Tabbert; Fred Thompson; Unity Shoe Repair; William Waldeck; Albert Wall; Fred Werner; Armond Wickman; Alwin Wild; Louis Wischman; F. Zediker.

Hobart Then and Now: The Hub/Hobart Karate

Circa 1900 and 2011.



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Top image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

All descriptions I've found of The Hub say it was on the south side of Third Street, at the alley between Main and Center. They never say which side of the alley, but that does look as if it could be the same building. It still has the three windows above, whose lower sills you can just glimpse in the old photo. The main floor underwent some remodeling, perhaps.

The older image is undated, so I just took a guess. A fragmentary caption tells us that these guys are, from right to left, William Jahnke and an unknown Ewigleben. (So if I could find out during what year(s) William Jahnke served in some law enforcement capacity … or what year the Foresters held a masquerade on February 21…)

I don't know when The Hub was founded. It was in business by 1904, when Marshal Rose accosted some motorists outside the Hub.

This photo is dated 1906, with another cryptic caption:


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Images courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.



Per the 1900 Census, Christ Ewigleben of Hobart had a daughter named Lena. John Hillman gave his occupation as saloonkeeper. I can't track down in any census any Hobart bartender named Oris.

And finally, the saloon interior:


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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

No date, but from the calendars on the back wall, I'm guessing it's 1913 (because the year on the calendar at the right looks vaguely like 1913, and January 13 did fall on a Monday in that year).

It looks rather elegant — but then you notice all those spittoons …

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[4/13/2011 update: I was wondering about Mr. Jahnke above — a reader has sent in some pertinent information and photos. Thanks, Swooz!]

I was taking a break from working on my family tree and had a box of Hobart history articles and booklets handy, so I thought I would see if I could find something about Mr. Jahnke. Hit paydirt in a copy of the Souvenir Program and History for the Centennial celebration in 1947. Seems he was a fireman. And darned if it doesn't look like the top picture was taken in front of The Hub! Wonder if the fire department itself was around the corner — thirsty work! Also in a "Souvenir Edition, Special Illustrated Supplement to the Hobart Gazette" May of 1898 I found a little bio of sorts on Mr. W.C. Jahnke — "Mr Jahnke has resided in Hobart for seven years and at present is local agent for the Standard Oil Company, whose interests he represents in a manner likely to give entire satisfaction to that great company and its many patrons here. Besides his oil trade Mr. Jahnke is an extensive dealer in all grades of coal. He carries on a general teaming business as well, and is considered by all a rising, substantial and reliable business man and citizen". Busy guy! He was still around in 1914 in a picture of the F.D. banquet I just noticed. I skimmed over some other pages but did not find the name Ewigleben, if I come across any information I will pass it on. I know that family has been in this area a long time also.

[That top photo looks familiar — I think I may have seen the original somewhere at the Hobart Historical Society Museum. I will check for both next Saturday and get full-size scans if I can.]