oct 8, 1871 - The Great Chicago Fire

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On October 8, 1871, a fire began in Chicago, Illinois, and burned until October 10. There are many rumors about how the fire started, but either way, the fire killed 300 people and caused $200 million in damages throughout the city. Dry weather and wooden buildings made the city very vulnerable in this situation. The fire left 100,000 people homeless and destroyed 17,000 buildings in the city. In the immediate aftermath, looting and violence broke out in the city, but the longstanding response was one of reconstruction and innovation as the city was built up again even better than it was before the fire.

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