• Preservation Outreach
• Historic Walking Tours

For 135 years, the Naperville Fire Department has had a proud tradition of keeping the community safe. During the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Naperville residents could see faraway flames in the city from the rooftops of their two-story homes. Three years later, two major fires in Naperville's downtown area prompted the formation of the Naperville Fire Department. The fledgling department relied primarily on bucket brigades to put out fires, but in December 1874, the first piece of equipment was purchased, a hand-operated pumper known as the "Joe Naper Pumper," which is still functional and housed in the Firehouse at Naper Settlement.

Today, the Naperville Heritage Society, administrator of Naper Settlement, wants to preserve the Naperville Fire Department's proud history for future generations and is reaching out to community members for their help. The Heritage Society is seeking Naperville Fire Department memorabilia, artifacts and photographs, along with opportunities to record the oral histories of retired and active Naperville firefighters.

To find out more about the project, community members are invited to two informational meetings about the project that will be held in July and October, 2009. For more information call (630) 420-6010 and ask to speak with a member of the Preservation Services Department. This project is partially funded by the Naperville Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Board and by a City of Naperville SECA grant.