The Chicago Fire: America at Its Best
The most famous fire in American history happened in Chicago on October 8, 1871. But it’s not the fire that was so remarkable; it’s what happened afterwards. Lee Habeeb, host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Our American Stories,” explains.
1. The Chicago Fire started on the city’s West Side, near the De Koven Street barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, by a clumsy cow.
TrueFalseHow much damage did the fire cause, in today’s dollars?
$3.8 million$200 million$3.8 billion$200 billionWhich federal agency came to Chicago’s aid?
FEMAHUDUSDANoneThere were many victims of the fire, ____________________.
and they waited months for the government to rebuild their homesand they left Chicago in drovesbut there was no sense of victimhoodbut they got large insurance payoutsAfter the fire, architects redesigned the city using a new product — _________.
woodsteelglassNone of the above
- It wasn’t the government that rebuilt Chicago after a third of it burned down in 1871—it was determined citizens and free market capitalism.
The Great Fire of Chicago began on Oct. 8, 1871, and rapidly consumed about a third of the city, leaving tens of thousands homeless and many businesses burned to the ground.
View sourceBut within 48 hours, 12 of the 29 banks that had burned down were operating in makeshift facilities, and other businesses were setting up temporary shops.
View sourceChicago banker Henry Greenbaum sold bonds to help rebuild, sending letters to investment bankers all over the globe encouraging them to invest in the city.
View source“The capitalists, the mercantile and business interests of this country and of Europe cannot afford to withhold the means to rebuild Chicago,” William Bross told the New York Chamber of Commerce in a famous speech.
View sourceCreative young architects were attracted to the opportunity Chicago presented, eventually creating the Chicago Style of architecture.
View source- A year before the great fire, Chicago was the fifth largest city in America. Just two decades after the fire, it was the second largest.
In 1840, Chicago ranked 92nd in population in the United States with only 4,470 inhabitants.
View sourceBy 1870, a year before the great fire, Chicago was closing in on a population of 300,000, making it the fifth-biggest city in America.
View sourceBy that time, Chicago had become the fastest growing city in the world.
View source“Chicago was near the center of the country, and near where the waterways and railways met,” city historian Tim Samuelson notes. “It was a perfect place for anything and anyone to get anywhere…”
View sourceBy 1890, due to the commitment of the community and the power of capitalism, Chicago’s population passed the one-million mark, becoming the second-biggest city in America.
View source- Chicago was a center of American industry when it was ravaged by the fire of 1871. Its rebirth is a testament to the power of capitalism.
Despite being a late addition to America’s growing urban centers, and facing disease and drainage problems, Chicago grew rapidly in the mid-19th century.
View sourceIn 1848, Chicago received its first railway and soon became a hub of rail transportation.
View sourceBy 1854, Chicago was the world’s largest grain port.
View sourceBy the mid-19th century, the Midwest, and Illinois specifically, had attracted a wide variety of immigrants from Europe, including Irish, Germans, and English.
View sourceChicago connected America’s agricultural west and industrial east.
View source- The Great Fire of Chicago of 1871 began rapidly in a West Side barn and soon expanded out of control, consuming a third of the city.
Chicago’s rapid growth was almost its undoing in 1871. “[Chicago] had to build and build quickly, and so they built it out of wood,” explained Sarah Marcus of the Chicago History Museum. “It was quick, it was easy, and it was cheap.”
View sourceBy most accounts, the fire started on the city’s West Side, near the De Koven Street barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary. The exact cause is uncertain.
View sourceAccording to an urban legend, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern and started the fire.
View sourceStrong winds carried firebrands across the Chicago River starting separate fires.
View sourceChicago had experienced fires before, but a combination of strong winds and a failure of the alarm system contributed to the fire not being contained.
View source- The damage from the Great Fire of Chicago was immense, but a can-do spirit and the free market restored the city with astonishing speed.
The fire claimed nearly 300 lives, destroyed over 17,000 buildings, covering almost 3.5 square miles, and caused damage of over $200 million (nearly $4 billion today).
View sourceLooting and crime broke out amidst the chaos.
View sourceBefore the fire, Chicago was called “the Garden City of the West.”
View sourceMost law offices were destroyed, as well as major hotels, department stores, and major banks.
View sourceWATCH: “How the Great Fire of 1871 Actually Benefited Chicago” – Smithsonian Channel
View source- Chicago citizens, not national or state agencies, rebuilt Chicago after the fire of 1871.
Though the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed about a third of the city, vital infrastructure, like the stockyards and railways, escaped major damage.
View sourceThe banking community quickly rallied, 12 of the 29 banks operating in makeshift facilities within 48 hours, and other businesses likewise setting up temporary shops.
View sourceChicago banker Henry Greenbaum sold bonds to help fund the rebuilding of the city.
View sourceBritish novelist and journalist Lady Duffus Hardy described Chicago’s recovery as, “Phoenix-like, the city has risen from the ashes, grander and statelier than ever.”
View sourceBy 1890, only 20 years after the fire, Chicago’s population passed the one-million mark, becoming the second-biggest city in America.
View source
The most famous fire in American history happened in Chicago on October 8, 1871. But it's not the fire that is so remarkable. It's what happened afterwards. To understand why, we first need to know something about the city's history.
In 1840, Chicago was a small town of forty-five hundred souls. It ranked 92nd in population in the United States. Yet, only three decades later, by 1870--just a year before the great fire--Chicago was closing in on a population of 300,000, making it the fifth-biggest city in America and the fastest-growing city in the world.
What led to all this rapid growth? In three words: location, location, location.
"Chicago was near the center of the country, and near where the waterways and railways met," city historian Tim Samuelson notes. "It was a perfect place for anything and anyone to get anywhere..."
Timing had a lot to do with it, too. America was moving from a rural to an industrial power. Chicago was right in the middle of the action. Ironically, its rapid growth was almost its undoing. "[Chicago] had to build, and build quickly, and so they built it out of wood," explained Sarah Marcus of the Chicago History Museum. "It was quick, it was easy, and it was cheap."
And, as it turned out, very flammable.
By most accounts, the fire started on the city's West Side, near the De Koven Street barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. No one is sure of the cause, but it could have been anything, from vandals to a drunken neighbor to that clumsy cow of urban legend.
Within minutes, the blaze roared out of control, tearing through Chicago's business district. The fire was so hot, it created its own tornado of flame. By 3:30 a.m., all hope of saving large parts of the city was gone. Nearly 30 hours later, the fire finally died. The reason? There was nothing left to burn.
The losses were staggering: The fire claimed nearly 300 lives, destroyed over 17,000 buildings covering almost 3.5 square miles, and caused damage of over $200 million-about 3.8 billion today. Roughly a third of the city lay in ruins, and one out every three people living in Chicago--nearly 100,000 residents--became homeless overnight.
"All the law offices were destroyed, all the major hotels were destroyed, all the major department stores were destroyed, and all the major banks were destroyed," Chicago weather historian Tom Skilling notes.
In those days, there were no national or state agencies to help. Chicago was on its own.
What was to be done? To most of Chicago's citizens, the answer was obvious: Rebuild. Make the city better than ever. Yes, there were many victims of the fire, but there was no sense of victimhood. Even before the bricks stopped smoking, the people of Chicago went to work.
First, the damage had to be assessed. The death and destruction were obvious. But there were some major pluses as well. The stockyards and meat packing plants had been spared. Two-thirds of the grain elevators survived. And most importantly, the railway and rail stock escaped major damage. This was critical because it would allow shipments of building materials and private relief aid to come pouring in from across the country and around the world.
The banking community quickly rallied. Within 48 hours, 12 of the 29 banks that had burned to the ground were operating in makeshift facilities. Merchants--large and small--immediately set up temporary shops. Local financier Henry Greenbaum sent letters to investment bankers all over the globe. This wasn't the time to give up on the city; it was the time, he told them, to buy in. Many agreed.
Among them were creative young architects attracted to the nearly blank slate the city presented to them. They would raise a new city from a new product: steel. Their work, praised and copied all over the world, came to be known as the Chicago School.
By 1890, only 20 years after the fire, Chicago's population passed the one-million mark, becoming the second-biggest city in America. The population had more than tripled since the Windy City's darkest night.
Why is this all important to know? Because the government didn't rebuild Chicago. Chicago rebuilt Chicago. And with astonishing speed and energy. A can-do spirit, devotion to community and free-market capitalism made it happen. It's impossible to look at this achievement without admiration--and more than a bit of nostalgia.
Could we summon that same spirit today?
Yes. We can. But only if we proudly retell stories like this one that remind us the greatness of America is not a product of government, but a product of self-government--empowered citizens pursuing their own best interests.
I'm Lee Habeeb, host of "Our American Stories," for Prager University.
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