Crown Point Fire Department
August 10, 2002 a visit was paid on the Crown Point Fire Department . After viewing the Crown Point Fire Department website, I contacted their current Chief and inquired about their archives. Chief DeLor graciously invited me to visit the Department, which I did. Assisted by Captain Tim Tully and Firefighter/ Paramedic Mark Baumgardner, some pictures of the 1952 train wreck were located. The department has authorized their use here. Captain Tully promised to check through their archives and hopes to come up with more pictures and will forward them when they are located.
Established in 1873, the Crown Point Fire-Rescue department today consists of 17 full-time employees and 35 volunteer firefighters. The Fire-Rescue department currently operates 3 Engine companies, a 102 foot aerial tower, 2 Rescue trucks, 2 Wildland fire trucks, 3 Advanced Life Support Ambulances, a 2800 gallon tanker, and several support and command vehicles.
The photograph on this page were taken by C. Nelson, Lake County Sheriffs Department. Department logo and photographs used with permission of Chief DeLor and the Crown Point Fire Department.
Working through Crown Point Fire Department Yearbooks, the roster of 1952 Crown Point Fire Department: Chief Albert Rettig, Assistant Chief Harold Wendel, Captain Herman Dietel, Lieutenant George Meyer, Secretary-Treasure Dennis Dunn, Driver George Blimm, Robert Everett, Homer Randolph, Ray Liss, L.E. Laney, J.B. Brown, Ed Glinski, Ray Kaiser, Harold Weiler, Emil Zula, Harold Nichols, Robert Rettig and Kenneth Haniford.
(Author's Note: Taken from 1952 and 1954 editions of the yearbook.)
This shot is of the wreckage. Taken on the mainline, south of the former depot location, that morning.
Great view of the pile of demolished cars The debris at the bottom of the pile was the Lowell depot. This photo was taken from the Lowell Legion parking lot.