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The Great Chicago Fire
A fire burns much of a wooden city
A fire swept through Chicago's wooden buildings and left about 100,000 people homeless. The story that Mrs. O'Leary's cow started it is not supported.
The fire broke out on the night of 8 October 1871 and burned for about two days, destroying roughly 17,000 buildings in a city of wooden houses, sidewalks and roofs. Around 300 people died and roughly 100,000 were left homeless. The fire stopped only when rain fell and it reached burnt-out ground.
The tale that Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern was printed in newspapers within days, and a reporter later admitted he made up parts of it. In 1997 the Chicago City Council passed a resolution clearing the O'Leary family, and the true cause remains unknown.
The city rebuilt quickly with new fire rules and became a center of early skyscraper design. On the same night, a firestorm in Peshtigo, Wisconsin killed far more people but is far less remembered.
Chicago's fire is often described as a turning point in American fire-safety law. Cities across the country studied it when writing rules on building materials, fire departments and water supply. The Water Tower on Michigan Avenue was one of the few downtown structures to survive the fire and still stands.