Mundelein's original fire truck will be ready for its closeup Oct. 17

When Mundelein officials unveil a restored 1925 Stoughton fire truck later this month, they want to make the most of the moment.

So they're keeping the progress being made on the truck something of a secret and are not releasing any recent photographs of the nearly-completed project, which is being done in Wisconsin.

"We want the wow factor to be high," Assistant Village Administrator Mike Flynn said.

The restored truck will make its public debut at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. The unveiling and a dedication are free to attend and are part of a daylong centennial celebration.

The truck originally had been given to the village in 1925 by Roman Catholic Cardinal George Mundelein in gratitude for naming the town in his honor. The truck remained in service until 1945 and changed hands through the years.

The village reacquired the truck last year after it was discovered by retired Mundelein firefighter Jim Carew, a Wisconsin resident who collects and restores old fire trucks. Carew recognized the truck's lineage and saved it from a scrap pile in 1994.

The restoration will cost about $67,000, Flynn said, higher than initially projected.

So far, the village has raised more than $25,000 for the effort. Flynn projects that total will reach $55,000 by the end of the year once donations from a variety of planned fundraisers are added.

Flynn has seen the work in progress, trekking up to Wisconsin as recently as last month.

"It really looks good," he said. "It's not just an antique fire truck. I like to say it's really a work of art."

Photographs of the truck taken in July are available on the village's Web site, Mundelein.org. They depict a dark red vehicle emblazoned with a golden "No. 1" on its side.

It's a far cry from the rusted skeleton of a truck Carew started with.

The Oct. 17 centennial celebration will commemorate when the village, then known as Rockefeller, was incorporated in 1909. It became Area later that year and was renamed Mundelein in 1924.

In addition to the truck dedication, the gala will include a 2 p.m. organ concert at the seminary, a dinner and other activities. Tickets are needed for the concert and dinner.

Concert tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance or at the door.

Tickets for the banquet are $45 and include admission to the concert. They must be purchased by Friday afternoon.

For more information or to contribute to the truck restoration effort, call Flynn at (847) 949-3223 or send an e-mail to mflynn@mundelein.org.