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On October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. 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 Rebuilding" was the effort to construct a new, urban center.
- U.S. Census Bureau History: 1871 Great Chicago Fire
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- World's Fair
Terrified Chicagoans fled for safety as the "Great Chicago Fire" burned out of control between October 8–10, 1871. Despite the destruction, Chicago's population grew from 298,977 in 1870 to 1,099,850 20 years later in 1890. Today, Chicago is the nation's third largest city behind New York City, NY, and Los Angeles, CA. Photo courtesy of the Smithso...
Chicago, IL, made its first appearance on the list of the United States' 10 largest urban places in 1860 when its population of 112,172 made it the nation's ninth largest. In 1890, it was the nation's second largest city with a population of 1,099,850. Chicago remained the United States' second largest city until Los Angeles, CA, surpassed it in 19...
Between May 1 and October 30, 1893, Chicago, IL, hosted the 1893 World's Fair at Jackson Park—a 1,055 acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vauz on the shores of Lake Michigan. Along with attractions like George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.'s "Ferris Wheel," exhibits sponsored by 46 countries, and concession stands that introduced...
Oct 8, 2021 · Chicago in 1871, like countless cities of the era, was a wooden one. Many of the buildings which lined the city streets were wooden or trimmed with wood. And the streets themselves were tinder! Over 50 miles of streets were paved with wood and lined beside them were wooden sidewalks.
Sep 20, 2024 · Great Chicago Fire, conflagration that began on October 8, 1871, and burned until early October 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of Chicago. The fire, the most famous in American history, claimed about 300 lives, destroyed some 17,450 buildings, and caused $200 million in damage.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 21, 2021 · It’s uncertain precisely how old Patrick and Catherine were in 1871, because the U.S. census and other vital records are inconsistent, but most documents indicate they were in their 40s.
Oct 13, 2021 · To mark the 150th anniversary of the disaster, the Chicago History Museum (CHM) has organized “City on Fire: Chicago 1871,” which opened on October 8 and runs through 2025.
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Growth was only barely interrupted by the catastrophic fire of 1871 in which perhaps a quarter of Chicago's dwellings and most of its business district were burned. The Fire did force the city to establish a new building code and perhaps encouraged a new self-consciousness about planning.
