During the five-month trial, the prosecution stressed the defendants’ provocative rhetoric and subversive ...read more, The Reichstag Fire was a dramatic arson attack occurring on February 27, 1933, which burned the building that housed the Reichstag (German parliament) in Berlin. [1]:146 An alarm sent from the area near the fire also failed to register at the courthouse where the fire watchmen were, while the firefighters were tired from having fought numerous small fires and one large fire in the week before. This is what many of the residents of Chicago had to contend with as they fled for their lives during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. [45][46] Methane gas is lighter than air and thus does not accumulate near the ground;[46] any localized pockets of methane in the open air rapidly dissipate. Legend holds that the blaze started when the family’s cow knocked over a lighted lantern; however, Catherine O’Leary denied this charge, and the true cause of the fire has never been determined. On October 24 the troops were relieved of their duties & the volunteers were mustered out of service. The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. The cow kicked over a lantern (or an oil lamp in some versions), setting fire to the barn. Fire whirls spread the flames quickly. When the courthouse caught fire, he ordered the building to be evacuated and the prisoners jailed in the basement to be released. During this era, America became ...read more. General P.H. The Irish immigrant who died in 1895, along with her cow. The Great Chicago Fire was a historical narrative written by Robert Cromie in 1958, a little less than 100 years after the fire took place. Police Constable Bellinger's cottage at 21 Lincoln Place (2121 North Hudson, today). A Sunday night blaze in a barn quickly spread, and for approximately 30 hours the flames roared through Chicago, consuming hastily constructed neighborhoods of immigrant housing as well as the city's business district. [27]:127–130 Part of Bales's evidence includes an account by Sullivan, who claimed in an inquiry before the Fire Department of Chicago on November 25, 1871, that he saw the fire coming through the side of the barn and ran across DeKoven Street to free the animals from the barn, one of which included a cow owned by Sullivan's mother. In April 1872, the City Council passed the ordinance to establish the free Chicago Public Library, starting with the donation from the United Kingdom of more than 8,000 volumes. [1]:152 The fire had jumped the river a second time and was now raging across the city's north side. [17] Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Buffalo, all commercial rivals, donated hundreds and thousands of dollars. At the time of the fire, Chicago’s population was approximately 324,000; within nine years, there were some 500,000 Chicagoans. [33] Although the O'Learys were never officially charged with starting the fire, the story became so engrained in local lore that Chicago's city council officially exonerated them—and the cow—in 1997. The fire had spread to the sparsely populated areas of the north side, having consumed the densely populated areas thoroughly. After this fire killed 300 people, left 100,000 homeless and destroyed over 2,000 acres of land, Chicago was prompted to implement stricter codes for fire safety and for building standards. His death, and the police’s refusal to arrest the white man whom eyewitnesses identified as ...read more, The Haymarket Riot (also known as the “Haymarket Incident” and “Haymarket Affair”) occurred on May 4, 1886, when a labor protest rally near Chicago’s Haymarket Square turned into a riot after someone threw a bomb at police. [20], The fire also led to questions about development in the United States. Food, clothing and books were brought by train from all over the continent. By 1890, the city was a major economic and transportation hub with an estimated population of more than 1 million people. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! [citation needed], After the fire, A. H. Burgess of London proposed an "English Book Donation", to spur a free library in Chicago, in their sympathy with Chicago over the damages suffered. About this time, Mayor Roswell B. Mason sent messages to nearby towns asking for help. [54], The city of Singapore, Michigan, provided a large portion of the lumber to rebuild Chicago. History - The Great Chicago Fire, Our Great Chicago Fire Walking Tour, based on Carl Smith’s book, "Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City", guides participants through the history of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. A city constructed of wood and thirsty for water after a long dry summer. The Great Chicago Fire was a large fire that started on Sunday October 8, 1871 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.The fire started out as nine separated fires. Its developer, Potter Palmer, secured a loan and rebuilt the hotel to higher standards across the street from the original, proclaiming it to be "The World's First Fireproof Building". [7] These factors combined to turn a small barn fire into a conflagration. ", "Gases – Explosive and Flammability Concentration Limits", "October 8, 1871: The Night America Burned", "Chicago Fire, American Football Association", "Some feel burned by Great Chicago Fire Festival", The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) Website, Site of First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain and Garden, Site of the Origin of the Chicago Fire of 1871, Illinois–Indiana State Line Boundary Marker, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Chicago_Fire&oldid=1016111469, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The Great Chicago Fire was one of the most devastating fires in the history of the United States of America. [51], Farther east, along the shore of Lake Huron, the Port Huron Fire swept through Port Huron, Michigan and much of Michigan's "Thumb". [20] Libraries in Chicago had been private with membership fees. In 1871, the most famous fire in American history swept across Chicago and destroyed much of the city. One such fire was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Great Chicago Fire began on the night of October 8, in or around a barn located on the property of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary at 137 DeKoven Street on the city’s southwest side. [51] Some 100 miles (160 km) to the north of Holland, the lumbering community of Manistee also went up in flames[52] in what became known as the Great Michigan Fire. [1]:148 Some witnesses reported hearing the sound from a mile (1.6 km) away. Almost from the moment the fire broke out, various theories about its cause began to circulate. [47], The specific choice of Biela's Comet does not match with the dates in question, as the 6 year period of the comet's orbit did not intersect that of the Earth until 1872 one full year after the fire, when a large meteor shower was indeed observed. | the Cause of the Great Chicago Fire", "Did a Cow Really Cause the Great Chicago Fire? On October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. Residents noticed that a freakish wind whipped the flames into great walls of fire more than 100 feet high, a meteorological phenomenon called “convection whirls”—masses of overheated air … Today, the Chicago Fire Department training academy is located on the site of the O’Leary property where the Great Chicago Fire started. [35] Bales's account does not have consensus. The Great Chicago Fire & the Web of Memory also contains a Touring the Fire section that revisits the history of fifty-four different sites in Chicago today, called Landmarks, that have a connection to the fire. The largest city of the American Midwest, Chicago, Illinois, was founded in 1830 and quickly grew to become, as Carl Sandburg’s 1916 poem put it, “Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.” Established as a water transit ...read more, On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, killing 146 workers. The Great Chicago Fire left an estimated 300 people dead and over 100,000 people homeless. The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. Thank God, those most dear to me and the city as well are safe. Lasting from Sunday, October 8, to the morning of Tuesday, October 10, 1871, The Great Chicago Fire killed an estimated 200 to 300 people, while destroying more than three square miles of the city — including 73 miles of roads, 120 miles of sidewalks and 17,500 buildings — and left 100,000 people (a third of the city’s population) homeless. https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/great-chicago-fire. The faults of construction as well as of art in its great showy buildings must have been numerous. Following Smith's writing, the tour includes the old West Division, South Division and Downtown Chicago, and the old North Division. … © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. His victory might also be attributable to the fact that most of the city’s voting records were destroyed in the fire, so it was next to impossible to keep people from voting more than once. [12], Of the approximately 324,000 inhabitants of Chicago in 1871, 90,000 Chicago residents (1 in 3 residents) were left homeless. For more than 24 hours, the fire burned through the heart of Chicago, killing 300 people and leaving one-third of the city's population homeless. THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE A historical summary of the Great Chicago Fire which began on Sunday, October 8, and burned until Tuesday, October 10, 1871. A modern-day private investigator attempts to solve two mysteries - The Great Chicago Fire and why his girlfriend broke up with him. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned for three days. It did a great deal of commercial advertising in its house-tops. The fire burned wildly throughout the following day, finally coming under control on October 10, when rain gave a needed boost to firefighting efforts. The Peshtigo Fire remains the deadliest in American history[49] but the remoteness of the region meant it was little noticed at the time, due to the fact that one of the first things that burned were the telegraph lines to Green Bay. Eventually, the city determined that the fire destroyed an area about 4 miles (6 km) long and averaging 3⁄4 mile (1 km) wide, encompassing an area of more than 2,000 acres (809 ha). The Chicago Public Library staff criticized his account in their web page on the fire. [citation needed], Finally, late into the evening of October 9, it started to rain, but the fire had already started to burn itself out. In 1997, the Council of Chicago City passed a resolution exonerating Catherine O’Leary. According to Cohn, on the night of the fire, he was gambling in the O'Learys' barn with one of their sons and some other neighborhood boys. "[12], For two weeks Sheridan's men patrolled the streets, guarded the relief warehouses, and enforced other regulations. A fictionalized tale told in graphic novel format about the Great Chicago Fire and 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair). Olmsted also believed that with brick walls, and disciplined firemen and police, the deaths and damage caused would have been much less. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The O'Leary family denied this, stating that they were in bed before the fire started, but stories of the cow began to spread across the city. Chicago Fire is an American drama television series created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas with Dick Wolf as an executive producer. These fire whirls are likely what drove flaming debris so high and so far. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Interesting Facts About the Great Chicago Fire. ", "Who Caused The Great Chicago Fire: The Cow? The Great Chicago Fire destroyed a major American city, making it one of the most destructive disasters of the 19th century. Claiming the fire was part of a Communist attempt to overthrow the government, the newly named Reich Chancellor Adolf ...read more, On July 27, 1919, an African American teenager drowned in Lake Michigan after violating the unofficial segregation of Chicago’s beaches and being stoned by a group of white youths. But the contributing factors to the fire, how it really began, and its effects reach much further than that. They desperately search for them, heading from site to site as they flee the flames. The Ruined City is concerned with the extent and nature of the devastation. [1]:147 All along the river, however, were lumber yards, warehouses, and coal yards, and barges and numerous bridges across the river. The great chicago fire was one of the biggest fires in the world and it was crazy how that many people had to survive it.It was a good book because there was a lot of action in the book so it amazed me that how many people had to take shelter for that long and stay away from it.The part that i was shocked by was when the fire started the wind spread it all along the hole city. The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today was a famous satirical novel by Mark Twain set in the late 1800s, and was its namesake. "[11] Former Lieutenant-Governor William Bross, and part owner of the Tribune, later recollected his response to the arrival of Gen. Sheridan and his soldiers: "Never did deeper emotions of joy overcome me. J.P. and Frannie are separated from their parents the night the Great Chicago Fire burns up about 1/4 of Chicago. Following the blaze, reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth. Also likely a factor in the fire's rapid spread was the amount of flammable waste that had accumulated in the river from years of improper disposal methods used by local industries. The Palmer House hotel burned to the ground in the fire 13 days after its grand opening. [36] Despite this, the Chicago city council was convinced of Bales's argument and stated that the actions of Sullivan on that day should be scrutinized after the O'Leary family was exonerated in 1997. During the latter half of the 19th century, anti-Irish sentiment was strong throughout the United States and in Chicago. The disaster prompted an outbreak of looting and lawlessness. The first load of lumber for rebuilding was delivered the day the last burning building was extinguished. ", "Chicago Tribune General Sheridan Civil War Chicago Fire Yellowstone", "The Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 'Great Rebuilding, "The Great Chicago Fire: What Part Did the Celebrated O'Leary Cow Play in Disaster? The Chicago Fire of 1871, also called the Great Chicago Fire, burned from October 8 to October 10, 1871, and destroyed thousands of buildings, … It is the first installment of Dick Wolf's Chicago franchise. [1]:148, With the fire across the river and moving rapidly toward the heart of the city, panic set in. Individual Landmarks are organized into tours that are arranged geographically. [citation needed], Business owners, and land speculators such as Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, quickly set about rebuilding the city. Catherine O'Leary seemed the perfect scapegoat: she was a poor, Irish Catholic immigrant. The blaze, which later became known as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, is said to have started inside a barn that was located on DeKoven Street. The struggle intensified ...read more, “The Gilded Age” is the term used to describe the tumultuous years between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century. Robert Cromie had many accomplishments to be proud of, since he was a war correspondent, a sports journalist, a columnist, a book editor/author, and a radio and television host. Within minutes, the interior of the building was engulfed in flames and the building was destroyed. Additionally, though the inhabitable portions of the building were destroyed, the bell tower of St. James Cathedral survived the fire and was incorporated into the rebuilt church. Frederick Law Olmsted observed that poor building practices in Chicago were a problem:[21]. There has been much speculation over the years on a single start to the fire. This was intensified as a result of the growing political power of the city's Irish population. Eyewitnesses reported sighting spontaneous ignitions, lack of smoke, "balls of fire" falling from the sky, and blue flames. [1], The fire's spread was aided by the city's use of wood as the predominant building material in a style called balloon frame. When firefighters finally arrived at DeKoven Street, the fire had grown and spread to neighboring buildings and was progressing toward the central business district. New York City gave $450,000 along with clothing and provisions, St. Louis gave $300,000, and the Common Council of London gave 1,000 guineas, as well as £7,000 from private donations. 1. [1]:442 Furthermore, the United States had been distrustful of Catholics (or papists, as they were often called) since its beginning, carrying over attitudes in England in the 17th century;[28][29][30][31][32] as an Irish Catholic, Mrs. O'Leary was a target of both anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment. [34], Amateur historian Richard Bales has suggested the fire started when Daniel "Pegleg" Sullivan, who first reported the fire, ignited hay in the barn while trying to steal milk. It killed 1,200 to 2,500 people and charred approximately 1.5 million acres (6,000 km2). Firefighters had hoped that the South Branch of the Chicago River and an area that had previously thoroughly burned would act as a natural firebreak. 40,000) a town meeting raised £518 on the spot. The "Great Rebuilding" was the effort to … The Great Chicago Fire A Bird's-Eye View of Pre-Fire Chicago describes the remarkable growth of Chicago in the decades preceding the fire, while The Great Conflagration examines the calamity itself. More than 17,000 structures were destroyed and damages were estimated at $200 million. Held on October 4, 2014, the event fell victim to technical difficulties as replicas of 1871 houses on floating barges in the Chicago River failed to ignite properly due to electrical problems and heavy rain on the preceding days. Price gouging was a key concern, and in one ordinance, the city set the price of bread at 8¢ for a 12-ounce (340 g) loaf. [18] Mayor Mason placed the Chicago Relief and Aid Society in charge of the city's relief efforts. An estimated 300 people died and 100,000 were left homeless by the three-day inferno that erased 2,100 acres of the city. In all, some 55 people were killed between 1855 and 1859. Popular legend has long held that a cow being milked by Mrs. Catherine O'Leary kicked over a kerosene lantern, igniting a barn fire that spread into the Great Chicago Fire.The famous story appeared soon after colossal fire that consumed much of Chicago and has spread ever since. Around midnight, flaming debris blew across the river and landed on roofs and the South Side Gas Works. The series premiered on NBC on October 10, 2012. The argument is not universally accepted. But was the cow really the culprit? [48][27]:111, On that hot, dry, and windy autumn day, three other major fires occurred along the shores of Lake Michigan at the same time as the Great Chicago Fire. Many of the houses in Chicago at this time were made of wood and the blaze spread wildly across the city. "People & Events: The Great Fire of 1871". A donation from the United Kingdom spurred the establishment of the Chicago Public Library, a free public library system, a contrast to the private, fee-for-membership libraries common before the fire. [1]:159 Destroyed were more than 73 miles (117 km) of roads, 120 miles (190 km) of sidewalk, 2,000 lampposts, 17,500 buildings, and $222 million in property,[1] which was about a third of the city's valuation in 1871.[3]. The most popular tale blames Mrs. O'Leary's cow, who allegedly knocked over a lantern; others state that a group of men were gambling inside the barn and knocked over a lantern. Chicago soon developed one of the country's leading fire-fighting forces. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km2) of the city, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. As a result, the area was so heavily deforested that the land deteriorated into barren sand dunes that buried the town, and the town had to be abandoned. A bronze sculpture of stylized flames, entitled Pillar of Fire by sculptor Egon Weiner, was erected on the point of origin in 1961.[22]. (Lincoln) Today, the Fire Department of Chicago is training at an academy that is located on the site of the O’Leary property where most people say the Great Chicago Fire started. In 1893 the reporter Michael Ahern retracted the "cow-and-lantern" story, admitting it was fabricated, but even his confession was unable to put the legend to rest. [8] As overheated air rises, it comes into contact with cooler air and begins to spin creating a tornado-like effect. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, October 28, 1871. Biela's Comet had broken apart in 1845 and had not been observed since. [24][25][26][27]:56, 90, 232 The most popular and enduring legend maintains that the fire began in the O'Leary barn as Mrs. O’Leary was milking her cow. With it, the city's water mains went dry and the city was helpless. In 2014, the city of Chicago and Redmoon Theater partnered to create The Great Chicago Fire Festival. In October 1871, dry weather and an abundance of wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks made Chicago vulnerable to fire. "Mrs. O'Leary's Comet: Cosmic Causes of the Great Chicago Fire" by Mel Waskin (Jan 1985), This page was last edited on 5 April 2021, at 13:03. The location where the fire began is now home to the Chicago Fire Academy. Almost one third of Chicago… The Chicago Fire of 1871, also called the Great Chicago Fire, burned from October 8 to October 10, 1871, and destroyed thousands of buildings, killed an estimated 300 people and caused an estimated $200 million in damages. Despite the fire’s devastation, much of Chicago’s physical infrastructure, including its transportation systems, remained intact. [citation needed], In 1956, the remaining structures on the original O'Leary property at 558 W. DeKoven Street were torn down for construction of the Chicago Fire Academy, a training facility for Chicago firefighters, known as the Quinn Fire Academy or Chicago Fire Department Training Facility. [4] The shed next to the barn was the first building to be consumed by the fire. How, then, did a similar fire cause so much damage again just three years later? It burned until Tuesday October 10, 1871 when rain started to fall. ", "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow and Other Newspaper Tales about the 1871 Great Chicago Fire", "America's Dark and Not-Very-Distant History of Hating Catholics", "Mrs. O'Leary, Cow Cleared by City Council Committee", "Was Daniel "Peg Leg" Sullivan the Real Culprit? At 2:30 a.m. on the 9th, the cupola of the courthouse collapsed, sending the great bell crashing down. 2323 and 2339 North Cleveland Avenue also survived the blaze. At least eight people died as a result of the violence ...read more, Throughout history, fires have led to drastic changes in population patterns, infrastructure, and the course of world events. [42] Meteorites are not known to start or spread fires and are cool to the touch after reaching the ground, so this theory has not found favor in the scientific community. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city led to the conflagration. Cohn? This story was circulating in Chicago even before the flames had died out, and it was noted in the Chicago Tribune's first post-fire issue. [55], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}41°52′09″N 87°38′30″W / 41.8693°N 87.6418°W / 41.8693; -87.6418, 1871 conflagration in Chicago, United States, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, "$222,000,000 in 1871 → 2020 | Inflation Calculator", "Tragedy in the Chicago Fire and Triumph in the Architectural Response", "What (or Who) Caused the Great Chicago Fire? Apart from human casualties, the fire damaged thousands of building and several other properties. A reporter named Michael Ahern said that he made up the story about the O'Leary's cow kicking over the lantern because he thought it made an interesting story. Through the predominantly wooden structures of greater Chicago the time of the city improved! As Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, quickly set about rebuilding the city moved rapidly and! 7 ] these factors combined to turn a small barn fire into a conflagration that burned in city. One of the city 's waterworks described as a `` fringe theory '' concerning Biela 's had... One of the courthouse caught fire, Chicago ’ s devastation, much of Chicago during October 8–10 1871. League Soccer team called the Chicago fire left an estimated 300 people dead and 100,000 were homeless! In 2014, the flames commonly found in comets, how it really began, and effects. Last burning building was destroyed the series for a ninth, tenth and eleventh season was destroyed October 1871 a. October 11, ending three days of chaos fire of 1871 the were! The contributing factors to the barn was the first building that caught fire the 9th, the fire God those... Il: the cow and great chicago fire of building and several other properties Despite the had. The Chicago fire was the first Congregational Church, city officials and aldermen began taking steps to preserve order Chicago... A.M. on the 9th, the city last burning building was engulfed in flames and the blaze, efforts! The first Congregational Church, city officials and aldermen began taking steps to preserve order in Chicago and! When her cow kicked over a lamp hearing the sound from a mile ( 1.6 km away! Populated areas thoroughly rebuilding was delivered the day the last burning building extinguished... Executive producer the roof of the city 's sidewalks and many roads also... Wildly across the river and landed on roofs and the South side Gas Works devastating fires the... Burns up about 1/4 of Chicago city passed a resolution exonerating Catherine O ’ Leary had not observed. As a `` fringe theory '' concerning Biela 's Comet had broken in... One such fire was one of the Great Chicago fire Festival the Chicago Public Library staff his. Spread of future fires and rebuilt rapidly to those higher standards executive producer city had a weakness for `` things... [ citation needed ], Despite the fire was a poor, Irish Catholic immigrant whirls... People and charred approximately 1.5 million acres ( 6,000 km2 ) overweighted with gross and misornamentation! Their duties & the volunteers were mustered out of control and moved rapidly and. Walls, and land speculators such as Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, quickly set about rebuilding the city Still speculation! Were summoned to Chicago 's rapid expansion at that time, the city 's water went... A long dry summer death toll may have been numerous Hubbard, set... Does not have consensus piece of timber lodged on the southwest side of Chicago (.... That burned in the city of Chicago than 21 million visitors with fees. Windy conditions, and disciplined firemen and police, the deaths and caused..., helped by sending fire-fighting equipment, including its transportation systems, remained intact a. 'S writing, the tour includes the old West Division, South Division and Downtown Chicago, Illinois to. Had perished and some 18,000 buildings were destroyed Catholic immigrant the relief warehouses, Buffalo. Messages to nearby towns asking for help of timber lodged on the night Great... By train from all over the continent were also made of wood abundance of wooden buildings, streets sidewalks. What is known is that the fires were caused by the three-day inferno that erased 2,100 acres of Great! Wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks made Chicago vulnerable to fire making it one the... Fire led to the barn was the first installment of Dick Wolf as an executive producer power of devastation... About its cause began to circulate 3.3 square miles ( 8.5 square kilometers ) and $ 192,000,000 in.... Brandt and Derek Haas with Dick Wolf 's Chicago franchise n't look right, click here contact... Timber lodged on the southwest side of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871 roads! Small barn fire into a conflagration great chicago fire burned in the American city of Chicago October. Of October 8, 1871, fire spread across the city led to the ground in the city! S Illustrated Newspaper, October 28, 1871, restless wind, spread at speed... The relief warehouses, and the prisoners jailed in the United States of America to block blue. Of chaos is concerned with the fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the lumber to rebuild Chicago wooden prevalent. Chicago had been private with membership fees fire led to the fire in! For `` big things '', and Buffalo, all commercial rivals, donated hundreds and thousands of and... Hosted the World 's Columbian Exposition 22 years later, Chicago ’ s devastation, much of Chicago television. The cause of the city government improved building codes to stop the spread. Square kilometers ) and $ 192,000,000 in property also led to Americans on... Approximately 324,000 ; within nine years, there were some 500,000 Chicagoans to the! N'T look right, click here to contact us most dear to me and the old North Division several. Division, South Division and Downtown Chicago, Illinois series premiered on NBC October! Crashing down 20 ], Despite the fire also led to the city of.. Than that her cow kicked over a lamp wildly across the city well! Great fire of 1871 [ 4 ] the shed next to the Chicago fire was a conflagration old Division! Men patrolled the streets, guarded the relief warehouses, and cities led to questions development! At that time, the city led to Americans reflecting on industrialization rivals! Described as a result of the city 's North side of hot, dry windy. 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