From its humble beginnings in 1884 as a one-story frame building with one bay to house Hose Company 4 and its team of horses, Engine Company 78 has been the firefighting sentinel at the end of Waveland Avenue, sitting in the shadow of Wrigley Field.  Karen Kruse, the daughter of a firefighter, uses vintage photographs and moving stories from firefighters themselves to capture the spirit and heroism of this historic Chicago landmark.  Captain Robert F. Kruse served the Chicago Fire Department for 30 years, half of those at Wrigleyville's Engine Company 78.  Having grown up within the tight-knit firefighting community, Ms. Kruse records the dramatic and touching stories from her father's and his peers' experiences.  In this volume, she combines them with the unique history of Lakeview's firehouse and first-hand accounts of some of Chicago's most fiery tragedies, the brave men who battled them, and the diversity of the neighborhood that housed them.  Includes a foreword by Mike Ditka and preface by Fire Commissioner James Joyce.
Softcover, 6 x 9, 128 pgs.