ANOTHER EVANSTON HERO - Firefighter William Frederick Craig

When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a fireman "when I grew up."  I wanted to live in the firehouse, slide down the pole, and ride in the firetruck as it sped toward the fire.  I did not, however want to charge into a burning building to rescue people trapped inside.  Let's face it, any one of us would gladly run into a burning building to save a member of our family or a good friend.  But firefighters put their lives on the line every day just to save perfect (or not so perfect) strangers.  I had a friend who was a fireman in the part of Chicago that encompassed many run down and abandoned buildings that used to catch fire on a regular basis.  He put his life on the line to save people who quite frankly didn't want to be saved.  Not surprisingly I did not pursue my dream of becoming a fireman.

I recently had the privilege of having lunch with a retired Evanston Firefighter.  I told him about writing the story of an Evanston firefighter who died in the line of duty - Marty Leoni:

https://undereverytombstone.blogspot.com/2012/06/you-is-not-enough-marty-f-leoni-jr.html

Marty was the third Evanston firefighter to die in the line of duty.  The first two made the ultimate sacrifice in 1905 in a fire at Dodge Avenue and Dempster Street in the Clayton Mark Pipe Manufacturing Company.  Their names were William F. Craig and George Stiles.  As far as I have been able to ascertain, I am not related to William Craig, but this month I am going to tell his story.  

William Frederick Craig was born November 25, 1870 in Knox County, Illinois.  Knox County is in the western part of Illinois, out toward Iowa.  William's parents were John W. Craig (1834-1907) and Elizabeth C. Parmenter (1844-1919).  John and Elizabeth were married November 9, 1864 in Knox, Illinois.  John Craig was a gunsmith by trade.  Specifically, he made percussion rifles and pistols labelled "J. W. Craig" or "J. W. Craig Maker."

In addition to William, John and Elizabeth Craig also had a daughter, Mary Emma Craig (1867-1959).

William does not appear in the 1870 US Census because he was born November 25, 1870 and the census for that area is dated June 6, 1870. 

William F. Craig makes his first appearance in the 1880 US Census.  The John Craig family was living in Kirkwood, Illinois.  The family consisted of Jno W. (46 years old), Elizabeth T. (36), Emma (13), and Wm. F. (10).  John Craig listed his occupation as "Gunsmith", Elizabeth was "Keeping House" and Emma and William were "at Home."  They also told the census taker that Emma and William were attending school.

The 1890 US Census for this area is of course, lost.  In about 1890, twenty-year-old William Craig took his first job, which was that of a brakeman with the Burlington Railroad.  

In 1895 Craig moved for the first time to Evanston where he shortly after joined the fire department.  Coworkers from that period remarked on Craig's "courage and bravery."   

The 1900 US Census shows that William Craig is living at 807 Grove in Evanston.  The Rotary International complex occupies that spot today.  He is twenty-eight years old, "Single," and lived alone.  He was renting his house which was not a farm.  His occupation was "Fireman" for a "Fire Department," and he could both read, write and speak English.  He also said that he had been employed for all twelve of the previous twelve months.

In 1901 William moved, but remained in Evanston.  His new address according to the 1901 Evanston City Directory was 1624 Central Street.  Modern condominiums occupy that space today.

The 1902 Evanston City Directory shows that Craig had moved again - this time to 2014 Pratt Court in Evanston:

2014 Pratt Court, Evanston

But it was not all fighting fires (or moving) for William Craig.  On May 15, 1902 he married Clara Amelia Steen (1878-1970) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The groom was thirty-one years old; the bride was twenty-four.

Clara Amelia Steen was born in Necedah, Wisconsin on March 5, 1878 to Andrew Steen (1842-1888) and Nella Braun (1852-1888).  Clara had one sister and three brothers.  They are:  Josephine/Mrs. Jonas Steen (1872-1959), Oscar (1873-1921), Adolph (1875-1963), and Theron (1880-1972).  Andrew Steen was a blacksmith by trade.

The 1903 Evanston Directory shows William and Clara Craig have moved to 1823 Ashland Avenue in Evanston:

1823 Ashland Avenue, Evanston

William and Clara Craig had one son, John William "Jack" Craig (1903-1990) who was born in Evanston, Illinois on April 30, 1903. 

In late 1903 William Craig left the Evanston Fire department and returned to the railroad - but this time it was the Omaha Railroad and he was a Dining Car Conductor.     

In August of 1905 he rejoined the Evanston Fire Department.  The Craig Family was then living at 1924 Jackson Avenue in Evanston

1924 Jackson Avenue, Evanston

That brings us to the terrible day William Craig gave his life for the City of Evanston.  Here is an in-depth account from the Evanston Index of December 15, 1905:

Some sources said that at the time of his death William and Clara Craig had two children.  I was only able to find evidence of their son, Jack. 

The Craig Family said that William Craig's body would have its final resting place in the family plot at the Knoxville Cemetery in Knoxville, Illinois.  However, since many Evanstonians wanted to pay their respects, Craig's body was placed in state for a time at his home in Evanston.  Members of both the Evanston Police Department and the Evanston Fire Department gathered to take a final view of their colleague and friend.  

On December 16, 1905, there was a procession from Craig's home to the train station where pieces of equipment draped in black and white were present from all three (at that time) of Evanston's fire stations.  The hearse was preceded by an escort of eight Evanston Policemen in full uniform, under the charge of Sergeant Shaffer, while the members of Engine Company No. 1, Craig's Company, acted as pall bearers.  All Evanston flags were ordered to be flown at half-staff as a sign of respect.  

Here is William Craig's grave with a zinc tombstone, in Knoxville:

As mentioned in the article above, George Stiles, the other victim, had been a member of the Firemans Benevolent Association, so his heirs would be receiving the benefit of a $1,000 life insurance policy provided by the Association.  William Craig was not a member of the Firemans Benevolent Association so his family was not entitled to the death benefit.   

Newspapers of the time however, reported that both the Craig and Stiles family received benefits from the Evanston Businessmens' Benevolent Association.

May God protect our firefighters and may William Craig, George Stiles and Marty Leoni rest in peace.

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The rest of the story:

William Craig's widow, Clara Steen Craig remarried on November 6, 1920 to Edward St. John Brown (1856-1937).  The groom was sixty-four years old; the bride was forty-two. Edward Brown died in 1937, but Clara remained in Evanston where she died on July 14, 1970.  She was ninety-two years old.  She is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie.

William and Clara Craig's son Jack went to to become an "Office Clerk" for the Public Service Company, predecessor to Northern Illinois Gas and Commonwealth Edison.  My father started his career with Public Service in 1926.  When Public Service was split by the US Government in 1937 Jack Craig became an employee of Northern Illinois Gas whereas my father went with Commonwealth Edison. In the 1950 US Census Jack reported his job as "Arranging Window Displays" for the Gas Company."  On August 8, 1959 Jack married Constance Adele Stikkers (1940- ????).  The groom was fifty-six; the bride was nineteen.

Jack Craig died in Evanston on March 1, 1990.  He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie.

I am pleased to report that Evanston has not forgotten her fallen firefighters. In 1993, the city of Evanston created a park called "Firemen's Park" at the corner of Simpson Street and Maple Avenue.  The park honors all three firefighters killed in the line of duty in the Evanston Fire Department’s then 135 years of existence: William Craig and George Stiles in 1905 and Marty Leoni in 1985. 

This Monument

Is Dedicated

On July 23, 1993

For All Evanston Firefighters

Who Put Their Lives on the Line

And Those Firefighters Who Have

Made the Ultimate Sacrifice So

Others Could Live

Fallen Evanston Fire Fighters

FF George Stiles  Age 32

December 13, 1905

Eng. Co. No 1   1900 Dempster

FF William Craig  Age 33

December 13, 1905

Eng. Co. No 1   1900 Dempster

FF FM Marty F. Leoni, Jr.  Age 27

July 22, 1985

TR Co. 21     1927 Jackson

                                                                                           Designed by Gail Leoni

In 2019 William Craig and George Stiles were further remembered with a memorial boulder containing a commemorative plaque on the approximate spot where they made the ultimate sacrifice.  The boulder rests in the parking lot of the Evanston Plaza Shopping Center on the south-west corner of Dodge Avenue and Dempster Street, the former site of the Clayton Mark Foundry:

Near This Spot Evanston Firefighters

George B. Stiles

and 

William F. Craig

Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

During the Clayton Mark Foundry Fire

December 13, 1905

Job Well Done Brothers.  Rest in Peace

The plaque includes facsimiles of the firefighters' badges with their respective badge numbers.

Special thanks again goes to Mike Kelly who provided the photo of William and Clara Craig from the Chicago Chronicle Newspaper and for the photos of the memorial boulder at Dodge and Dempster.