Louis Almgren was a San Diegan of over thirty years residence and just twenty years ago entered the service of the fire department. He was the chief of the city's marvelously efficient fire fighting organization for the past twelve years. He was born at Peoria Illinois February 5 1876 and has lived at San Diego since he was about eleven years of age His parents Louis and Elsie Peterson Almgren are now living retired at North Bend Oregon Louis Almgren Sr was an interior decorator by trade an occupation he followed in Illinois For three years the family lived at Russell Kansas and in 1887 came to San Diego In 1900 the parents moved to Douglas Arizona and three years later to North Bend Oregon The children consist of two sons and two daughters Mrs AJ Serene of San Diego Louis and Mrs Edward Schultz of Los Angeles and Fred with his parents in North Bend Oregon Louis Almgren first attended public school in Peoria Illinois also at Russell Kansas and became a student in the Sherman Heights School in San Diego when that institution was first opened As a youth he worked under his father at the decorating and painting trade and at the time of the Spanish American war enlisted in the navy and was in service two years He was a member of the California Naval Militia for eighteen years After leaving the navy he spent a year with the power plant of the Coronado Beach Company and then resumed his trade with Nels Malmberg still a painting and decorating contractor of San Diego In 1902 Mr Almgren entered the San Diego fire department as driver of the hose wagon and subsequently was promoted to engineer He left the department in 1907 and in 1909 was returned as chief engineer of the fire department and has held that post of duty for seven consecutive terms The department has been completely reorganized and largely reequipped since Mr Almgren became chief The process of motorizing the department was completed in 1916 The fire fighting organization of the city now comprises sixteen stations with 138 men under the two platoon system Under Chief Almgren's direction the fire department constructed a fire alarm and police signal system and he also supervised the building of a gasoline fire tug which has a capacity of throwing 5,000 gallons of water a minute San Diego has a remarkably low insurance rating due to the record of its fire department and no serious conflagration has occurred in the city itself since Mr Almgren became chief The two most noted fires were in the harbor One occurred June 1 1910 in the fire on the Alaskan steamship owned by the American Hawaiian Steamship Company which on account of the meritorious service rendered by the department donated $10,000 to the Firemen's Relief Association and the repair of operative and also gave as a special token a gold watch and chain to Chief Almgren Another fire in the harbor well remembered was on the American steamship Sudbury December 7 1920 The Shawmut Steamship Company owning this vessel donated $1,000 to the Firemen's Pension Relief Fund May 1 1900 Chief Almgren married at San Diego Miss Selma Thresa Liljegren of San Diego She was born in San Francisco but was reared in and educated in the public schools of San Diego They have two sons and one daughter Louis R Sidney Edgar and Gertrude Thresa all natives of San Diego Chief Almgren is a member of the various Masonic bodies at San Diego including Silvergate Lodge the Chapter Knight Templar Commandery and the Scottish Rite Consistory He is a republican in politics is vice president of the San Diego Rowing Club a member of the Spanish American War Veterans and is affiliated with San Diego Lodge No 168 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Red Star Lodge Knights of Pythias His home is at 660 Eighteenth Street