Aurora Regional Fire Museum Voted Best Suburban Museum

This past weekend, the Daily Herald released their Readers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for 2026. We are excited to share that the Aurora Regional Fire Museum was voted the Best Suburban Museum.

Located in Aurora’s 1894 Central Fire Station, the museum features two floors of professional exhibits designed for visitors of all ages and explores the history of firefighting on a local, regional, and national level. The Fire Museum’s exhibits combine a mix of history focused exhibits and an award-winning Children’s Discovery Room. The Children’s Discovery Room features Safety at Play: A Firefighter’s Adventure, an exhibit filled with multiple interactives from a child-sized fire station and fire engine. A visit to downtown Aurora is not complete without a stop at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum. Whether you are interested in history or have a family with children of all ages, the exhibits are welcoming to all.

This recognition is another testament of the impact the Aurora Regional Fire Museum is having in the region. In the last year, the Fire Museum was named the 2026 Small Institution of the Year and received an Award of Superior Achievement (Exhibits) from the Illinois Association of Museums, was awarded the Corporate Responsibility Award by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, and their Executive Director received the Small Museum Association Award.

 “It is heartening to see so many families and children enjoying the museum’s exhibits and programs and to see the impact the museum is having in our local community and the region,” shares Board President Karen Yaggie. “A museum’s impact is not measured based on its size; small museums can have a major impact in their community. We truly are humbled by this recognition.”

From the Collections: Shawl made by Captain George Bettcher

This small piece of woven green fabric seems unusually placed in an environment generally focused on fire history. However, a large portion of that history revolves around the firefighters who courageously defend their communities against fires. This artifact showcases the life of one firefighter named Edward Bettcher who had a successful career within the Aurora Fire Department. On June 2, 1911, Bettcher passed the fire examination and became a member of Company No. 1. When he was not fighting fires for the city of Aurora, he enjoyed crocheting. In 1917, he created this shawl as a gift for his bride-to-be Bernice Larson. He resigned from the Fire Department on May 7, 1918. He joined the Coast Guard Artillery of the U.S. to fight in World War I and was sent to Fort Williams, Maine. This shawl was worn by Mrs. Bettcher quite often until she decided to wash it. She made her washing water too hot which ultimately shrank the shawl! When Edward Bettcher returned to Aurora three years after he resigned and enlisted, he welcomed his first child with his wife on June 14, 1920. They decided that the shawl was better suited for the baby's carriage.  After completing his military service in April of 1921, Edward Bettcher returned to firefighting and became part of Company No. 3. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1926 and transferred to Company No. 4. One year later, he was transferred back to No. 3 and was then again promoted in 1936 and served as Captain to Company No. 4. Bettcher retired on October 1, 1942. After his resignation from the fire department he worked with the engineering department of the U.S. military until he passed away in 1944 as an honorable and decorated military veteran and firefighter. This shawl is not only an example of Bettcher’s work but it is also representative of many woven shawls created in the late 1910s. Particularly, the classical fringe that surrounds the outside of the item and the method of hand crafting with a crochet hook are both indications of the time period. Currently this shawl is on exhibition for the 170th celebration of the museum, so make sure to check it out on your next visit!

Written by Molly, ARFM Summer Intern 2026

From the Collection: Civil Defense Radiation Meter

This artifact is an example of the CDV-700 model Civil Defense Radiation Meter, otherwise known as a Geiger counter. The Geiger counter, named for its inventor, Hans Geiger, was first developed in 1928 based on technology Hans worked with at the University of Manchester starting in 1908. Geiger counters have a wide range of applications such as: environmental monitoring, industrial workplace safety, emergency response services, the collection of scientific data, and for hobbyists. In firefighting, the use of Geiger counters is not common, but many departments maintain and train with these systems in the event of a nuclear disaster or attack. The Aurora Fire Department has trained with and maintained Geiger counters and personal protective gear needed in the case of fallout response since the late 1950s. Firefighters need to monitor radiation levels when responding to these most critical situations, such as a major failure at a nuclear plant. Having constant monitoring of radiation exposure enables firefighters to coordinate firefighting operations while limiting their exposure. Geiger counters are especially common fire departments in major cities to prepare for potential nuclear attacks, as was commonly feared during the cold war. Geiger counters such as the CDV-700 model were explicitly designed with widespread civil defense use in mind, rather than strictly scientific purposes. Cities throughout the United States, beginning in the 1950s, received civil defense funding to furnish air raid systems and proper training for emergency response personnel. 

The Aurora Fire Department began to utilize Geiger counters and train firemen in radiological response during the 1950s. Civil defense drills were brought back to emergency preparedness during the Cold War in Aurora. Bombing drills had been carried out beginning Friday, July 31st, 1942, after the U.S. entry into WW2 the previous winter. These included blackout drills and simulated enemy incendiary attacks, training professional and volunteer firemen on how to respond quickly and effectively. These rapid response drills focused on how to respond to enemy bombings and were also carried out in 1951 during the Korean War. By the end of the decade, threats had shifted from incendiary bombings or sabotage to fallout preparedness and response drills. The Aurora Fire Department began training firefighters at radioactive fallout schools in Aurora beginning in 1959. Each training class completed would result in more radiological kits for the Aurora Fire Department, as the Civil Defense director commented on Wednesday, January 7th, 1959: “Aurora has been promised 2 radiological kits valued at $2,000.00 for organizing the first class, and another kit for each class of 20 students thereafter.” The fire department completed enough training to furnish all fire stations in Aurora with radiological kits. While the A.F.D. has not needed to utilize said radiological kits in responding to emergencies, having them on hand contributed to Aurora’s status as having one of the most modern and well-equipped fire departments in the state.

By Wyatt Harvell, Aurora University Student

From the Collection: Mars Signal Light

This artifact is a 1936 Mars Signal light, a safety light used in firefighting and railroad operations. The light utilizes an oscillating mechanism to move the direction of the light both vertically and horizontally, greatly improving visibility. This benefits both drivers and pedestrians and has become an instrumental tool for emergency services. Jerry Kennelly, a firefighter in Chicago, created the light to prevent accidents, navigate heavy traffic during emergencies, and clearly distinguish emergency vehicles. Kennelly began developing safety lights in 1925, with early versions being applied to fire trucks as early as 1929. Kennelly would continue to refine his signal light technology during the 1930s, with multiple designs being patented in both the United States and Canada including the 1936 model. The Chicago Fire Department was an early adopter of the signal light, beginning to incorporate it into its fire trucks as early as 1929 and expanding its use throughout the 1930s as production increased. During the late 1930s and into the early 1940s, the use of Mars Lights had expanded to other U.S. Fire Departments, including New York.

The Mars Light was first adopted by the Aurora Fire Department for use on the 1934 Pirsch firetruck, and then on the 1942 American LaFrance pumper. New firetrucks were met with much fanfare in Aurora, the Beacon News noted in 1942: “The screaming siren, one of the new, more powerful models, and a swinging “mars” light cleared traffic as people stared at the new fire truck.” The impact of Mars Lights in firefighting was most noticeable in densely populated urban areas, where they greatly reduced collision risks in emergencies. This was particularly useful in Aurora, where the fire department faced persistent traffic issues when going to fires Mars Lights continue to be used by many fire departments worldwide, though the adoption of LED standards has led to a decline in the use of original-style Mars Lights. LED Mars Lights are capable of the same movement non-mechanically, in addition to being roughly 3 times brighter than the original designs.

​The Mars Light, also referred to as “The Light From Mars”, was heavily utilized by both fire departments and the railroads; however, due to the mechanical complexity of the device, maintenance costs were particularly high. This led railroads to move away from Mars Lights in favor of newer and cheaper signal lights. In addition to logistical considerations, federal laws adopted on December 31st, 1997, required the retirement of Mars Lights in favor of a standardized series of “ditch lights.” Ditch lights are low and fixed-position lights, which were discovered to be more effective at allowing motorists to gauge the speed and distance of a train. The law dictated that auxiliary lights on trains must be functional, meaning if a Mars Light experienced a mechanical failure, the locomotive was non-compliant, and railroads would face fines. This led to all trains in the United States, with the exception of museum pieces, to move away from Mars Lights before the year 2000. However, in firefighting, the Mars Light is still utilized widely for several practical reasons. Unlike locomotives, the oscillating light mechanism is necessary for firefighters’ visibility, and changing to a fixed beam light would decrease visibility in fires. The oscillating effect is also beneficial to firetruck drivers as it makes objects and pedestrians stand out more to the driver. While the traditional style of Mars Lights is still produced, some fire departments have adopted new LED versions to reduce maintenance issues and improve energy efficiency.

By Wyatt Harvell, Aurora University Student.

Aurora Regional Fire Museum Announces New Program for High School Students

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum is excited to announce their new Practical Fire & Life Skills and Pathways in Museums program. This FREE class is a hands-on program designed to help students build real-world emergency preparedness skills while exploring careers in museums and community service. The staff of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum lead this program in partnership with DobroSKILLS. DobrokSKILLS is an American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider. 

Thanks to the generous support of the Dunham Foundation this program is FREE to local high school students.

Who should attend?

The Practical Fire and Life Safety Skills & Pathways in Museums program, in partnership with DobroSKILLS, is open to high school students enrolled during the 2025-2026 school year or incoming freshmen for the 2026-2027 school year at the following schools:

Naperville (District 203 & 204)

Naperville North High School

Naperville Central High School

Neuqua Valley High School

Waubonsie Valley High School

Metea Valley High School

Private Schools

Rosary College Prep

Marmion Academy

Aurora Central Catholic High School

Aurora Christian School

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA)

Aurora (District 129 & 131) 

East Aurora High School

West Aurora High School

Batavia & Kaneland

Batavia High School (Batavia District 101)

Kaneland High School (Kaneland District 302)

Oswego (District 308)

Oswego High School

Oswego East High School

Why attend?

~ Obtain your 2-year Adult & Child First Aid/CPR/AED Certification

~ Learn how to use a fire extinguisher

~ Learn about future career opportunities in museums

~ Receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card for successful completion

Registration is FREE and Spaces are Limited

Each one day class will be held from 12-5pm at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum

From the Collection: The Strowger Telephone and the war against telephone operators!

This artifact is a Strowger Potbelly Candlestick telephone, the first commercially available dial telephone. This particular example of Strowger's eleven-digit dial phone, dating back to 1905, revolutionized telecommunications. It did this by bypassing the need for telephone operators and allowing users to directly dial one another’s phone numbers. The speed of the rotary dial allowed for fast contact with fire and police services rather than utilizing the limited number of specialized fire alarm call boxes. Through a combination of innovative spirit and his conspiratorial resentment for switchboard operators Almon Strowger (1839-1902), an American inventor, developed the Strowger switch, a technology to bypass phone operators. Strowger was working as a funeral director, responsible for managing the funeral processes for the community of Kansas City, Missouri. Strowger had constant issues with his telephone. In addition to functionality problems, he believed that the local women working as switchboard operators were purposely misdirecting calls, sending them to his business competitors and causing him to lose a great deal of business. Strowger would often fly into long-winded rants about the switchboard operators, and would constantly call the phone company for repairs. 

A 1913 article from the Sioux City Journal interviewed Mr. Herman W. Ritterhoff, the superintendent of the Home Telephone company, and brief business associate of Stroweger. He was responsible for addressing Mr. Strowger's telephone complaints, frequently sending repair workers to his home. However, they never could find anything wrong with Mr. Strowger's phone, much to his fury. Mr. Herman Ritterhoff wrote about Strowger's switchboard obsession, saying, “he became possessed with the idea that the girl operators were systematically working against him, and that he was so convinced of this that he got to hate them. And his next idea was one of revenge against them”. Strowger's revenge, as it turned out, would come in the form of the Strowger Switch system. 

Strowger revealed his new innovation to Mr. Ritterhoff in 1888. Upon seeing Strowger's technical drawings, Ritterhoff realized that despite their amateur appearance, Strowger had outlined a transformative technology that could revolutionize communication and make both men very wealthy. Strowger had developed the technical specifications needed to make a working telephone that had no need for central switchboard call management. The Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company was founded in 1891 by Strowger with his brother Alfred and nephew William. Ritterhoff assisted him to refine his plans and apply for a patent in 1891 due to Strowger's crude artistic abilities which were of no humor to Strowger, who was known to be quick to anger and held grudges for life.  Ritterhoff would later recount that Strowger's poor art skills and temper were responsible for Ritterhoff missing the chance of a lifetime after laughing at a crude prototype Strowger had built himself. Strowger stormed off in a rage and raised $50,000 in capital to start the Automatic Electric Company without Mr. Ritterhoff as a business partner. By 1892, the first phones utilizing the Stroweger switch were installed in La Porte, Indiana, by Stroweger for his personal use in his business. By the early 1910s, Stroweger switch phone systems made up 10% of all telephones in use, and were quickly becoming the standard automatic phone system in many cities. The system would also rapidly be adopted by fire and emergency services in the United States. Internationally, the British Post Office adopted the Stroweger system in 1912, with widespread adoption in wealthy metropolitan areas worldwide by the 1920s. 

 Ritterhoff eventually found  out the real cause of Mr. Strowger's phone troubles. Strowger had decided to bring his rusting old shop sign inside and had hung it on the wall over his telephone. Every time his front door opened and shut, wind would rush in, swinging the old sign back and forth. And on occasion, it would be caught perfectly in the two wall posts that rose above the telephone causing a short circuit. This meant that whenever the repairmen came to fix his phone, by simply opening the door, they fixed the problem. While Mr. Ritterhoff surely found this explanation entertaining, it did nothing to sway Strowger's insistence that it was the fault of the switchboard operators. 

Mr. Stowger continued his personal war against the switchboard operators, seeking to “put every last one of them out of a job”. Strowger Automatic Telephone Company had become Automatic Electric Company in 1901. By this point, Strowger had little involvement in the company, having sold his patent in 1896 and his shares in Automatic Electric in 1898. His patent sold for $1,800 (roughly $70,000 in 2026), and his shares sold for $10,000 (roughly $390,000 in 2026). Ritterhoff would later recount that Strowger's poor art skills and temper were responsible for Ritterhoff missing the chance of a lifetime after laughing at a crude prototype Strowger had built himself.

Ritterhoff had been promised 10,000 shares in the Automatic Electric Company, which by 1913 would have been worth millions. But upon traveling to Chicago to claim them, he learned Strowger had died and purposely left him out of his company. Prior to his death, Strowger would refuse to contact Ritterhoff for the rest of his life, even refusing to answer any letters sent by Ritterhoff. The Automatic Electric Company became greatly successful, financially dominating the telecommunication market into the 1940s, leaving Ritterhoff to comment in 1913: “That laugh cost me a million dollars”.

By Wyatt Harvell Aurora University Student