Whiteland Volunteer Fire Department
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Pond & Water Safety
The Great Chicago Fire
By Tom Kiurski
In 1871, the city of Chicago was the fastest-growing city in the world. It was a vital link between the manufacturing east and the agricultural west portions of the country. The buildings in Chicago were built quickly, and the buildings very rarely followed any accepted building codes of the day. Between 1860 and 1871, an average of seven thousand buildings were erected each year in Chicago, mostly of wooden construction.
The summer of 1871 was very dry, leaving the ground parched and the mostly wooden city of Chicago quite vulnerable. On the day before The Great Chicago Fire, four blocks of the city had burned. This fire had left thirty Chicago firefighters off on injury, and the weary firefighters that remained were exhausted from the fire activity of the summer.
On Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, just after nine o’clock, a fire broke out in the barn behind the home of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary at 13 DeKoven Street. How the fire started is still unknown today, but an O’Leary cow often gets the credit. This theory has been discounted recently, but smokers near the garage or children playing with fire are now the accepted theory.
The firefighters were first sent to the wrong neighborhood. When they finally arrived at the O’Leary’s, they found the fire raging out of control. A strong, dry wind coming from the southwest made matters even worse, blowing the fire towards the very heart of the city. The blaze quickly spread east and north. Wooden houses, commercial and industrial buildings, and private mansions made for easy fuel and were all consumed in the blaze. Many sought refuge on the opposite shore of the Chicago River, which caught fire due to the grease and oil coating it, bringing fire to the downtown area. Many people panicked and jumped into the river to avoid being burned.
Around this same time, the State Street Bridge, leading to the north side of the city, also caught fire and it began to devour the areas on the north side of the river as well. After two days, rain began to fall. On the morning of October 10, 1871, the fire died out, leaving complete devastation in the heart of the city. At least 300 people were dead, 100,000 people were homeless, 17,500 building were destroyed and $200 million worth of property was burned. The entire central business district of Chicago was leveled. Rumors of rampant looting brought the city under martial law, which kept watch for the remainder of the year. There were a few buildings that did not get destroyed. The Chicago Water Tower was one of them. The principal reason was because the Water Tower was one of the few buildings that wasn’t made out of wood. It was made out of limestone. Of course the fire ruined it a little but after the fire, workers made it even better than it had been before. That is why the Water Tower still stands today.
Within days of the fire being extinguished, the rebuilding began. Within three years, it once again dominated the western United States. If you visit downtown Chicago today, you can see the water tower still standing. The buildings there are a much safer version of those buildings that came and went before them.
By Tom Kiurski
In 1871, the city of Chicago was the fastest-growing city in the world. It was a vital link between the manufacturing east and the agricultural west portions of the country. The buildings in Chicago were built quickly, and the buildings very rarely followed any accepted building codes of the day. Between 1860 and 1871, an average of seven thousand buildings were erected each year in Chicago, mostly of wooden construction.
The summer of 1871 was very dry, leaving the ground parched and the mostly wooden city of Chicago quite vulnerable. On the day before The Great Chicago Fire, four blocks of the city had burned. This fire had left thirty Chicago firefighters off on injury, and the weary firefighters that remained were exhausted from the fire activity of the summer.
On Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, just after nine o’clock, a fire broke out in the barn behind the home of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary at 13 DeKoven Street. How the fire started is still unknown today, but an O’Leary cow often gets the credit. This theory has been discounted recently, but smokers near the garage or children playing with fire are now the accepted theory.
The firefighters were first sent to the wrong neighborhood. When they finally arrived at the O’Leary’s, they found the fire raging out of control. A strong, dry wind coming from the southwest made matters even worse, blowing the fire towards the very heart of the city. The blaze quickly spread east and north. Wooden houses, commercial and industrial buildings, and private mansions made for easy fuel and were all consumed in the blaze. Many sought refuge on the opposite shore of the Chicago River, which caught fire due to the grease and oil coating it, bringing fire to the downtown area. Many people panicked and jumped into the river to avoid being burned.
Around this same time, the State Street Bridge, leading to the north side of the city, also caught fire and it began to devour the areas on the north side of the river as well. After two days, rain began to fall. On the morning of October 10, 1871, the fire died out, leaving complete devastation in the heart of the city. At least 300 people were dead, 100,000 people were homeless, 17,500 building were destroyed and $200 million worth of property was burned. The entire central business district of Chicago was leveled. Rumors of rampant looting brought the city under martial law, which kept watch for the remainder of the year. There were a few buildings that did not get destroyed. The Chicago Water Tower was one of them. The principal reason was because the Water Tower was one of the few buildings that wasn’t made out of wood. It was made out of limestone. Of course the fire ruined it a little but after the fire, workers made it even better than it had been before. That is why the Water Tower still stands today.
Within days of the fire being extinguished, the rebuilding began. Within three years, it once again dominated the western United States. If you visit downtown Chicago today, you can see the water tower still standing. The buildings there are a much safer version of those buildings that came and went before them.
