The Ben Franklin fire in 1973 is one of the great tragedies in Palatine history. Three firefighters lost their lives fighting it, and a memorial will be held Saturday to honor their sacrifice.
Saturday will mark 40 years to the day that three volunteer Palatine firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting a fire at a Ben Franklin store in downtown Palatine. The fire broke out in the early morning hours of Friday, February 23, 1973 at the store located on the west side of Brockway Street north of Slade Street, and quickly spread throughout the building. Volunteer firemen John Wilson, 40, who owned the Ben Franklin store, Warren Ahlgrim, 32, and Richard Freeman, 25, whose father owned Zimmer Hardware, all died from smoke inhalation as they fought the fire in the basement of the building. The Palatine Fire Department will host a memorial ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, February 23 at the corner of Brockway and Slade …
42.11127
-88.04619
N Brockway St & W Slade St, Palatine, IL
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The Village of Palatine hosts a memorial ceremony on at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Village of Palatine will be hosting a memorial ceremony to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The ceremony will be held at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial at the corner of N. Brockway and W. Slade Streets in downtown Palatine. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and will last one hour. Palatine Fire Department members and retirees will be marching to the memorial site from Fire Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax Street. They will be accompanied by the Palatine Fire Department Honor Guard and the Palatine Police Department Honor Guard with Palatine Firefighter Jeb Kaiser playing the bagpipes. Members of the Palatine Fire Department and Police Department Honor Guards…
42.11488
-88.042413
39 E Colfax St, Palatine, IL
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2:07 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
People may choose to forget the painful experience of 9/11, but we should always remember those who perished, as well as the families and friends affected by the horrible acts of cowardice that day. Thank you, Palatine, for helping us remember the ones who will be forever in our hearts and minds. more ›