1919 American La France Type 31 Aerial Fire Truck Front Wheel.  American La France patented the design for ths "spring assist" aerial in 1903.  Originally built to be pulled by horses, the design was adopted to motorized tractors and was manufactured until about 1940.  Because of its long wheel base it is steered from both the front and rear.  The  "tiller man" turns his wheel in the opposite direction of the truck's driver, providing impressive mobility for such a large vehicle.  Many modern aerial trucks still employ tiller men.  

It uses two large helical springs to elevate the ladder to the vertical position.  Every action after that is performed by hand.  At a fire the tiller man removes his steering whell and places it on the side.  He then stands on the end of the ladder as it is lifted skyward by the expanding springs.  The rig's crew then turns the cranks to extend the ladder to its 75 foot length and rotate it on its turntable.  The tiller man is now in position to enter a burning building to search for victims or to rescue people waiting by the windows.  He also might climb from the ladder onto a roof to chop a hole and "ventilate" the fire, allowing smoke and hot air to escape.  In other cases the tiller man would connect a length of 2 1/2 inch hose to the 'ladder pipe" mounted at the aerial's tip.  He could then play as much as 250 gpm onto a fire. 

This rig was built for the town of Danville, Illinois.  It could make rescues in buildings up to six stories high.  It also saw service in Cairo, Illinois until about 1960.  It was restored in 1986 by Don Hale and is now on display at the Hall of Flame in Phoenix, Arizona.