Chicago Fire of 1871 - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Chicago Fire of 1871 A+E Networks Introduction The Chicago Fire of 1871, also called the Great Chicago Fire, burned from October 8 to October 10, 1871, and destroyed thousands of buildings, killed an estimated 300 people and caused an estimated $200 million in damages. Legend has it that a cow kicked over a lantern in a barn and started the fire, but other theories hold that humans or even a meteor might have been responsible for the event that left an area of about four miles long and almost a mile wide of the Windy City, including its business district, in ruins. Following the blaze, reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth. Google Chicago Fire: October 1871 In October 1871, dry weather and an abundance of wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks made Chicago vulnerable to fire. The Great Chicago Fire began on the night of October 8, in or around a barn located on the property of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary at 137 DeKoven Street on the city’s southwest side.

Legend holds that the blaze started when the family’s cow knocked over a lighted lantern; however, Catherine O’Leary denied this charge, and the true cause of the fire has never been determined. What is known is that the fire quickly grew out of control and moved rapidly north and east toward the city center. Did You Know? The same day the Great Chicago Fire began, a fire broke out in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, in which more than 1,000 people perished. The fire burned wildly throughout the following day, finally coming under control on October 10, when rain gave a needed boost to firefighting efforts. The Great Chicago Fire left an estimated 300 people dead and 100,000 others homeless. More than 17,000 structures were destroyed and damages were estimated at $200 million. The disaster prompted an outbreak of looting and lawlessness. Companies of soldiers were summoned to Chicago and martial law was declared on October 11, ending three days of chaos. Martial law was lifted several weeks later.

Chicago Fire: Aftermath The month after the fire, Joseph Medill (1823-99) was elected mayor after promising to institute stricter building and fire codes, a pledge that may have helped him win the office. His victory might also be attributable to the fact that most of the city’s voting records were destroyed in the fire, so it was next to impossible to keep people from voting more than once. Despite the fire’s devastation, much of Chicago’s physical infrastructure, including its transportation systems, remained intact. Reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth, as architects laid the foundation for a modern city featuring the world’s first skyscrapers. At the time of the fire, Chicago’s population was approximately 324,000; within nine years, there were some 500,000 Chicagoans. By 1890, the city was a major economic and transportation hub with an estimated population of more than 1 million people. (In America, only New York City had a larger population at the time.) In 1893, Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, a tourist attraction visited by some 27.5 million people.

Today, the Chicago Fire Department training academy is located on the site of the O’Leary property where the Great Chicago Fire started. In 1997, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution exonerating Catherine O’Leary, an Irish immigrant who died in 1895, and her cow. Tags A Look Back: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 - My Firefighter Nation A Look Back: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 FireRescue recalls the monumental tragedy that spurred the creation of Fire Prevention Week Note: This article was originally printed in the October 2006 issue of FireRescue magazine. ______________________________________ Editor’s Note: In honor of Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8–14, we at FireRescue would like to present our readers with a historical account of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the incident that inspired the creation of Fire Prevention Week. As we do so, we remember those who suffered and died as a result the fire’s mass destruction, as well as the city’s struggle to rise from its ashes. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is truly one of our country’s greatest tragedies.

By the time the last remaining flames flickered out, the fire had claimed 300 lives and decimated four square miles—more than 2,000 acres—of heavily populated land. Nearly 100,000 people were left homeless; the city’s business district was in ruins; and more than 28 miles of streets, 120 miles of sidewalks, 18,000 buildings and 2,000 lampposts, along with countless trees, shrubs and plants, were completely wiped out. The Great Fire By 1871, the city of Chicago was no stranger to fire. In fact, in 1870, the city suffered through an average of two fires a day. During the week just prior to the Great Fire, 20 smaller fires had burned in various parts of the city, as if to forewarn citizens of the calamity that was about to occur. The Great Chicago Fire began near a barn at approximately 9 p.m. on Oct. 8, 1871.

It is unclear exactly how the fire started (some believe a cow knocked over an oil lamp inside the barn, setting straw ablaze), but the city’s unseasonably dry, windy weather and minimal rainfall, coupled with its wooden structures and woodworking industries, made it a prime location for an inferno. Related Links By the time the last remaining flames flickered out, the fire had claimed 300 lives and decimated four square miles of heavily populated land. Nearly 100,000 people were left homeless. The Chicago courthouse was one of the few structures left standing after the fire. AP Photo Caught by a strong southwesterly wind, the fire spread rapidly, racing toward the center of the city and dividing several times. By midnight, the flames had jumped the south branch of the Chicago River, and by 1:30 a.m. Monday morning, they began threatening the court-house tower, forcing watchmen stationed on the tower to slide down the banisters of a burning stairway to escape death. The courthouse basement housed the city’s prisoners, who were released after officials realized that not only was the tower fated for destruction, but the entire building was destined to go up in flames.

Moments after the prisoners’ release, the tower’s giant bell plummeted to the ground. Mayor Roswell B. Mason was also working inside the courthouse two hours before fleeing as it succumbed to the flames. While there, he followed the fire’s progress, issued commands and sent telegrams to other cities pleading for additional men and equipment. He later learned his home was spared, but flames prevented him from reaching it that night; instead, he was forced to travel north with the throngs of other citizens heading for safer ground. As the fire raged on through the night and into the next morning, the city dissolved into chaos. Onlookers who initially saw the incident merely as a source of entertainment, and sought out prime locations from which to watch the fire’s progress, soon realized the gravity of the situation. Their only way to survive was to flee the city. People flooded the smoke-filled streets, unsure of where to go or what to bring with them. Because the streets, sidewalks and bridges were made of wood, panic-stricken crowds hastily formed on the bridges crossing the river. But safety eluded them even though they were near water, as several vessels, and grease on the river’s surface, ignited. Families became separated amid the havoc.

Later, reports claimed many people had become trapped or crushed in their homes, on one of the bridges or in the Washington and LaSalle Street tunnels. Thousands fled to the city’s north division, hoping to escape with their lives and carrying what little they could, but they were forced to continue onward as the flames chased them. To make matters worse, by 3:30 a.m., flames destroyed the roof of the pumping station, which served as the hub of the city’s firefighting efforts. By noon the following day, north division fires reached Chicago’s northern limit. In the city’s south division, fire consumed the offices of the Chicago Tribune, whose editors had previously urged the city council to raise the level of fire protection. Those who ran through the night escaped to the outskirts of the city, where they were left to ponder the enormity of the fire and the devastation it caused. And as with any major tragedy, stories surfaced telling of great heroism and selflessness. But there were also rumors of drunkenness, looting and robbery. Thanks to much-needed rainfall, the fire died out Tuesday morning, but by then, the landscape of the once-bustling city had been drastically transformed into a smoldering heap of ash and smoke.

What’s most unfortunate about this tragedy is that Chicago’s firemen might have had a fighting chance against the blaze, had it not been for multiple technical failures and human errors in the city’s alarm system. The Aftermath The Great Fire brought Chicago to its knees. Evidence of the horrific event could be seen at every turn; in some areas, ruins stretched almost as far as the eye could see. Although the flames spared most heavy industries, including the stockyards and the rail infrastructure, they robbed Chicago of much of its history, leveling entire neighborhoods and wiping out many citizens’ unique way of life. The north division suffered the most damage, with 13,300 of its 13,800 buildings destroyed, leaving almost 75,000 people, including the division’s entire German community, homeless. Throughout Chicago, the poor suffered the greatest loss of all the socio-economic groups. For many of the impoverished, the fire took everything they owned, their jobs and even their insurance providers, if they had been able to afford them. If they died in the fire and had no local relatives, it is likely that no one in their family ever knew of, or recorded, their death.

More than $200 million in property was lost, about one-third the value of the entire city, and only half of that was insured property.?And because the fire also destroyed many insurance companies, payments to property owners were minimal. Goodwill & Hard Times One of the first major tasks taken on by officials after the fire involved assisting victims. To that end, the city established a temporary relief committee that distributed food, supplies and money, which started pouring in from all parts of the United States and the world on the first night of the fire; in all, Chicago received about $5 million in contributions. But with goodwill and assistance from around the world came a surge of fear, paranoia and anger. Thieves and other criminals from outside the city were eager to take advantage of Chicago’s weakened state in any way they could, including burning other parts of the city and committing murder. As a result, many, especially Chicago’s upper-class citizens, wanted authority restored immediately. In answer to these concerns, Mayor Mason assigned Lieutenant-General Philip H. Sheridan to enforce security within the city. He then assigned the Chicago Relief and Aid Society to organize and manage the relief effort.

Sheridan set to work organizing a specialized group that took on the job of regular police officers, patrolling and securing the streets, and enforcing curfews. The Relief and Aid Society distributed goods including building materials, tools and appliances. The Society also built barracks for the homeless poor and vaccinated about 64,000 people for smallpox. Yet as the relief effort progressed, so did the bias toward certain victims of the fire. Relief groups focused more on the needs of those who had been well off before the fire, believing that the city’s poor were probably better off after the fire due to the temporary shelter and goods now afforded them. Eventually, aid was either cut off or made difficult to obtain to anyone able to work. Protests developed over discrimination against the poor and working-class citizens. The hardships brought about by financial woes increased as rents were raised, strikes failed and the influx of newcomers to the area took away jobs from the city’s natives—those who needed jobs the most.

By late spring of 1873, Chicago held a “jubilee week” to help proclaim its recovery, but by December of that same year, the city found itself mired in another catastrophe, this one more harmful to the economy than the actual fire. When the Panic of 1873 began in September with the failure of a prominent investment house, Chicago’s economy suffered a heavy blow; one in three workers went jobless, and at one point, unemployed citizens gathered outside the Relief and Aid Society office, chanting “Bread or death.” In July 1874, Chicago was once again the setting for another large fire that, in some areas, followed the same path as the Great Fire, destroying about 50 acres and more than 800 buildings. For insurers, this was the last straw; they threatened a boycott, which forced the city to improve and strengthen its safety rules and its fire department. A City Reborn The effects of the Great Fire were felt long after the flames died out, but not all effects were necessarily negative. The “Great Rebuilding,” as it was called, led to many physical changes within and around Chicago.

The downtown section was rebuilt to include taller, more distinct buildings and business locations, while commercial and residential districts, as well as individual neighborhoods, became more clearly defined. Today, Chicago is considered a thriving metropolis steeped in history and culture. Fire Prevention Week not only asks us to remain vigilant in maintaining fire safety, but also serves as a reminder of the Chicago that once was and the utter devastation fire can cause. Sources: Information for this report was obtained from the Library of Congress and the Chicago Historical Society. Cindy Devone-Pacheco is an associate editor for FireRescue magazine. Copyright © Elsevier Inc., a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SUBSCRIBE to FIRERESCUE Views: 10161 Bears Inspire A City Still Reeling From Great Chicago Fire Of 1871 - The Onion - America's Finest News Source Bears Inspire A City Still Reeling From Great Chicago Fire Of 1871 Vol 43 Issue 04 · Sports · Football · Ecstasy Of Defeat · Cities · Nfl Football CHICAGO—As Brian Urlacher triumphantly hoisted the George Halas Trophy Sunday, it was a symbol of more than just the Bears' 39-14 victory over New Orleans—it was a symbol of hope to the thousands of Chicagoans who are still struggling to resume normal lives after the fire that swept through a 2,000-acre swath of downtown, killed over 300 people, injured hundreds more, destroyed a third of Chicago's buildings, and left 100,000 residents homeless this past Oct. 8 through Oct. 10, 1871. "No disrespect to the Saints," Urlacher said, "but as much as this victory would have meant for any team, after what our city has been through, it means much more to us.

Hopefully, going to the Super Bowl will help the people of Chicago put the terrible events of 135 years ago behind them." Coach Lovie Smith knows that just going to the Super Bowl, or even winning it, will do little to help the city rebuild, but says he is "humbled" by the inspiration Chicago residents feel when his team wins. "We know winning the Super Bowl won't put up a single ravaged building or house a single displaced family," Smith said in a press conference after the NFC championship game. "At this point, there's little we can do for the victims. But as long as we can inspire the community to hold on and get past what the Great Fire has done to them, we'll have done our job." "Everywhere I go, people are like, 'Thank you for what you're doing. Thank you for giving us hope.' And some of them are people whose families lost everything—homes, livestock, wagons, everything," said quarterback Rex Grossman, who has donated every game check of the postseason to the Chicago Fire Historical Society. "And I tell them, 'No, thank you.

After what you've been through over the past century or so, you give us a lot of hope.'" Chicago had an uphill battle for recovery from the devastating blaze, a struggle made more difficult by drought, economic collapse, civil unrest between the city's Protestants, Catholics, and many recently freed slaves, and the apparent indifference to the city's plight by uncharismatic and unpopular Republican president Ulysses S. Grant. Still, the townspeople's imagination was captured by the successful rebuilding of the Chicago Bears, a task once seen as impossible. "In the days after the fire, there basically were no Chicago Bears," said Mayor Richard Daley. "It took men of vision to found the team in nearby Decatur in 1919, move them to Chicago in 1921, and hire George Halas to coach them. The Bears made a huge effort to attract such great players such as Red Grange, Sid Luckman, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, and Brian Urlacher.

Basically, since the fire, they've turned the team from a total nonentity to a championship contender." "The people of Chicago see that and think, 'Hey, if the Bears can do that, we can make this city great again,'" he added. Schaumburg resident Tom Berry, a clothing salesman who bought Bears tickets as soon after the fire as he could afford them, knows what the team means to the area. "People lost great-great-grandfathers in the fire. Great-great-great grandfathers lost children in that fire. I think unless you were there, you wouldn't understand," Berry said. "You walk around downtown, look around at the historical sites of all that devastation, and it kind of brings you down." "Except on Sundays," Berry added. "On Sundays, you sit down and watch the Bears and somehow you just forget about all that, if only for a while." Share This Story: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and Its Aftermath By Robert McNamara Updated January 01, 2017. The Great Chicago Fire destroyed a major American city, making it one of the most destructive disasters of the 19th century.

A Sunday night blaze in a barn quickly spread, and for approximately 30 hours the flames roared through Chicago, consuming hastily constructed neighborhoods of immigrant housing as well as the city's business district. From the evening of October 8, 1871, until the early hours of Tuesday, October 10, 1871, Chicago was essentially defenseless against the enormous fire. Thousands of homes were reduced to cinders, along with hotels, department stores, newspapers, and government offices. At least 300 people were killed. The cause of the fire has always been disputed. A local rumor, that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started the blaze by kicking over a lantern is probably not true. But that legend stuck in the public mind and holds fast to this day. A Long Summer Drought The summer of 1871 was very hot, and the city of Chicago suffered under a brutal drought. continue reading below our video Profile of the Great Chicago Fire From early July to the outbreak of the fire in October less than three inches of rain fell on the city, and most of that was in brief showers.

The heat and lack of sustained rainfall put the city in a precarious position as Chicago consisted almost entirely of wooden structures. Lumber was plentiful and cheap in the American Midwest in the mid-1800s, and Chicago was essentially built of timber. Construction regulations and fire codes were widely ignored. Large sections of the city housed poor immigrants in shabbily constructed shanties, and even the houses of more prosperous citizens tended to be made of wood. A sprawling city virtually made of wood drying out in a prolonged drought did inspire fears. In early September, a month before the fire, the city’s most prominent newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, criticized the city for being made of “firetraps,” adding that many structures were “all sham and shingles.” Part of the problem was that Chicago had grown quickly and had not endured a history of fires. New York City , for instance, which had undergone its own great fire in 1835 , had learned to enforce building and fire codes. The Fire Began in O’Leary’s Barn On the night before the great fire another major fire broke out that was battled by all the city’s fire companies. When that blaze was brought under control it seemed that Chicago had been saved from a major disaster.

And then on Sunday night, October 8, 1871, a fire was spotted in a barn owned by an Irish immigrant family named O’Leary. Alarms were sounded, and a fire company which had just returned from battling the previous night's fire responded. There was considerable confusion in dispatching other fire companies, and valuable time was lost. Perhaps the fire at the O’Leary barn could have been contained if the first company responding had not been exhausted, or if other companies had been dispatched to the correct location. Within a half-hour of the first reports of the fire at O’Leary’s barn the fire had spread to nearby barns and sheds, and then to a church, which was quickly consumed in flame. At that point there was no hope of controlling the inferno, and the fire began its destructive march northward toward the heart of Chicago. The legend took hold that the fire had started when a cow being milked by Mrs. O’Leary had kicked over a kerosene lantern, igniting hay in the O’Leary barn. Years later a newspaper reporter admitted to having made up that story, but to this day the legend of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow endures.

The Fire Spread The conditions were perfect for the fire to spread, and once it went beyond the immediate neighborhood of O’Leary’s barn it accelerated quickly. Burning embers landed on furniture factories and grain storage elevators, and soon the blaze began to consume everything in its path. Fire companies tried their best to contain the fire, but when the city’s waterworks were destroyed the battle was over. The only response to the fire was to try to flee, and tens of thousands of Chicago's citizens did. It has been estimated that a quarter of the city’s approximately 330,000 residents took to the streets, carrying what they could in a mad panic. A massive wall of flame 100 feet high advanced through city blocks. Survivors told harrowing stories of strong winds pushed by the fire spewing burning embers so that it looked as if it was raining fire. By the time the sun rose on Monday morning, large parts of Chicago were already burned to the ground. Wooden buildings had simply disappeared into piles of ash. Sturdier buildings of brick or stone were charred ruins.

The fire burned throughout Monday and was finally dying out when rain began on Monday evening, finally extinguishing it in the early hours of Tuesday. The Aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire The wall of flame that destroyed the center of Chicago leveled a corridor about four miles long and more than a mile wide. The damage to the city was nearly impossible to comprehend. Virtually all government buildings were burned to the ground, as were the newspapers, hotels, and any just about any major business. There were stories that many priceless documents, including letters of Abraham Lincoln , were lost in the fire. And it's believed that original negatives of portraits of Lincoln taken by Chicago photographer Alexander Hesler were lost. Approximately 120 bodies were recovered, but it was estimated that more than 300 people died. It's believed that many bodies were entirely consumed by the intense heat. The cost of destroyed property was estimated at $190 million. More than 17,000 buildings were destroyed, and more than 100,000 people were left homeless. News of the fire traveled quickly by telegraph, and within days newspaper artists and photographers descended upon the city, recording the massive scenes of destruction.

Chicago Was Rebuilt After the Great Fire Relief efforts were mounted, and the US Army took control of the city, placing it under martial law. Cities in the east sent contributions, and even President Ulysses S. Grant sent $1,000 from his personal funds to the relief effort. While the Great Chicago Fire was one of the major disasters of the 19th century and a profound blow to the city, the city was rebuilt fairly quickly. And with the rebuilding came better construction and much stricter fire codes. Indeed, the bitter lessons of Chicago's destruction affected how other cities were managed. And while the story of Mrs. O'Leary and her cow persists, the real culprits were simply a long summer drought and a sprawling city built of wood. 1000+ images about 1871 - Chicago fire - Illinois on Pinterest | Washington, A cow and The ruins Forward 1870 chicago white stockings team - this team is actually the first version of what would become the chicago cubs (in 1876). much of this squad joined the new national association in 1871.

sadly, the great chicago fire of 1871 wiped out the team’s park along with all of its equipment and uniforms. they would return to the na in 1874 before becoming the cubs and winning the first national league pennant in 1876. See More The Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 'Great Rebuilding' - National Geographic Society The Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 'Great Rebuilding' Damage from the 1871 fire was estimated at about $200 million, more than a billion dollars in today's currency. Photograph courtesy the New York Times Fire Prevention Week On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America started Fire Prevention Week . In 1925, Fire Prevention Week became a national observance. Today, the International Fire Marshals Association marks the week around Oct. 9 as a way to educate the public about fire safety. Who Started the Fire? There are many theories about how Chicago's Great Fire of 1871 started. It began in a barn belonging to Patrick and Catherine O'Leary.

Some people believe a thief knocked over a lantern while stealing milk from the barn. Years later, a man named Louis M. Cohn confessed to starting the fire by accidentally knocking over a lantern when running away from an illegal card game. Recently, scientists have suggested that a meteor shower ignited hay in the O'Leary barn. Unitarian Faith "We have not lost, first, our geography. Nature called the lakes, the forests, the prairies together in convention long before we were born, and they decided that on this spot a great city would be built." The Rev. Robert Collyer, speaking to his congregation after the Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed their church By Mary Schons Tuesday, January 25, 2011 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. Big businesses, innovative buildings, and a new style of architecture were the results.

The Great Chicago Fire started on the evening of Oct. 8, 1871. While there is little doubt that the fire started in a barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, the exact cause of the fire remains a mystery. From the barn at 137 DeKoven Street, on the city's southwest side, the fire spread north and east, into the heart of Chicago's business district. Rain put out the fire more than a day later, but by then it had burned an area 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. The fire destroyed 17,500 buildings and 73 miles of street. Ninety thousand people—one in three Chicago residents—were left homeless by the fire. While only 120 bodies were recovered, it is believed that 300 people died in the blaze. Chicago's summer and fall in 1871 were unusually dry, with only one-fourth the normal amount of rain falling between July and October. Many of the city's wooden buildings and sidewalks had dried out in the summer's intense heat.

On the first night of the fire, strong southwesterly winds fanned the flames high into the sky and created convection spiral s, or "fire devils." Fire devils spit burning debris in all directions, causing more buildings to burn. Buildings often had a single layer of fireproof material on the outside, hiding the wooden structure beneath. The Waterworks, on Pine Street, was just such a building. Its wooden roofing shingle s had been replaced with slate, but the structure itself was pine . When a burning ember struck the roof in the first hours of the fire, the Waterworks was quickly destroyed. It was the main source of water for the city's understaff ed fire department . On the first Sunday after the fire, the Rev. Robert Collyer spoke to his Unitarian congregation outside the ruins of Unity Church on Dearborn Street. "We have not lost, first, our geography. Nature called the lakes, the forests, the prairies together in convention long before we were born, and they decided that on this spot a great city would be built." Unity Church was rebuilt the following year. The fire destroyed the city’s business district , but it left the stockyard s and the new packing plants on the South Side untouched.

Known as the “Hog Butcher of the World,” Chicago’s stockyards processed more meat than anywhere else on Earth. Most of the wharf s, lumberyards, and mill s along the Chicago River survived, as did two-thirds of the grain elevator s to the west. The industries surrounding agriculture and trade kept the city’s finances as stable as possible, and employed thousands of people. Most railroad tracks were not damaged. This allowed shipments of aid to come pouring in from across the country and around the world. Book donations collected in England became part of Chicago's first free, public library. The Chicago Public Library opened its doors on Jan. 1, 1873. Its original building was a water tank on LaSalle Street that had survived the fire. In 1956, the Chicago Fire Academy was built on the site where Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary's barn once stood. The school trains new firefighters to this day. First Phase of the Great Rebuilding The rebuilding of Chicago started immediately. Sometimes, construction began even before the architect and engineer s had completed the design. After the fire, laws were passed requiring new buildings be constructed with fireproof materials such as brick , stone , marble , and limestone .

These building materials, much more expensive than wood, are held together by a sticky, strong substance called mortar . The construction technique using mortar is called masonry . Mason s are a skilled group of construction workers. Many poorer Chicagoans couldn't afford the fireproof materials or skilled masons to rebuild. In addition, many could not afford fire insurance . (Before the fire, many people had insurance, but their policies were burned in the fire.) Without the means to rebuild or insure their property , thousands of people and small businesses were crowded out of Chicago. Many other businesses simply ignored the new building laws. Wood often replaced stone, and builders decorated their buildings with wooden awning s, cupola s, and cornice s. Terra Cotta Two events stopped this phase of reconstruction. The first was the failure of a bank , Jay Cooke and Company, in September 1873. The bank’s failure triggered a nationwide depression that halt ed much of the Chicago construction. The second event was another, somewhat smaller fire, in July 1874. This fire destroyed more than 800 buildings over 60 acres. After the 1874 fire, the slow and expensive process of rebuilding with fireproof materials began.

Big banks and businesses, which handled millions of dollars in revenue every year, dominated Chicago’s new business district. Terra-cotta clay emerged as a popular and effective building material. By the mid-1880s, terra cotta tiling made Chicago one of the most fireproof cities in the nation. The renovation of Palmer House, a luxury hotel on Monroe Street, is an example of how reconstruction efforts used terra cotta. Palmer House had opened only 13 days before the Great Fire. When it looked likely that the Palmer House would be destroyed, its architect, John M. Van Osdel , buried the blueprint s in a hole in the basement, and covered them with a thick layer of sand and clay. Sand and clay are the chief materials used in the building material known as terra cotta. The blueprints survived the fire, and Van Osdel became convinced that clay terra cotta tile would make an excellent fireproof material. Terra cotta tiles became roofing materials for the new Palmer House. The building itself was made of iron and brick.

Palmer House, which is now part of the Hilton hotel chain, advertised itself as “The World’s Only Fire Proof Hotel.” Terra cotta would also be used in the Montauk Block , on Monroe Street, often regarded as one of the world’s first high-rise buildings. The Montauk was 10 stories tall, with 150 offices. After the fire, clay tiles formed fireproof insulation around the building's iron frame. The Montauk was also the first building in Chicago where the construction didn't stop during the winter, and it was the first building in the world to be built at night, using the new technique of electric lighting. Chicago School Chicago's architects worked to meet the demands of commercial businessmen. Businessmen preferred plain-looking buildings, because putting on fancy ornament s cost more money. This streamlined style became known as the Chicago School of architecture. William Le Baron Jenney , Daniel Burnham, John W. Root, Louis Sullivan , and Dankmar Adler are some of the most well-known Chicago School architects. The construction of the Home Insurance Building is a good example of how the Chicago School architects worked with businesses to form a new style.

When the New York Home Insurance Company relocated its business to Chicago, they challenged the architectural community to come up with a design to bring natural light to all parts of the building. William Le Baron Jenney came up with a solution: Steel , lighter and stronger than iron, could be used on the upper floors. Jenney's Home Insurance Building, on LaSalle Street, was the first to make use of a steel cage to provide a building's support. The steel frame allowed more large windows to be constructed on every side of the building. Natural light flooded the tall structure. The partitions between offices were made of brick and terra cotta. Built in 1884, the Home Insurance Building is considered to be the world's first skyscraper. Term agriculture Noun person who designs buildings or other large structures. awning Noun construction that extends above a doorway or window, to provide shade and shelter from the weather. bank organization that loans, protects, and exchanges money to and from individuals and organizations. barn shelter where animals and farm equipment are kept. blueprint detailed plan and technical drawings for the construction of a building. brick block of clay and sand, dried and used for construction.

business district geographic area where trade, banking, and retail industry is conducted. butcher person who cuts, prepares, and sells meat and meat products. Chicago School (1880-1910) architectural style that pioneered the design of skyscrapers and other commercial and industrial buildings. congregation group of people who worship at the same church. convection spiral pattern where heat energy travels in a widening spiral. convention formal meeting, usually with representatives from different regions or parties. cornice window feature used to hide a curtain rod. cupola dome-like structure on the top of a building. debris remains of something broken or destroyed; waste, or garbage. depression Noun period of economic hardship, when employment and wages are low, and the value of businesses declines. ember small piece of wood, coal, or paper still slowly burning from a fire. engineer Noun person who plans the building of things, such as structures (construction engineer) or substances (chemical engineer). expensive budget, or money available for a specific project or goal. fire academy educational institution that trains professional firefighters. fire department Noun professional or volunteer organization that works to prevent and put out fires, usually in a specific geographic area.

firefighter person who works to control and put out fires. fireproof describing a substance that will not burn in a fire. forest ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush. geography large storage facility for grains, equipped with lifting mechanisms. Great Chicago Fire (1871) urban disaster that killed hundreds and destroyed almost all of downtown Chicago, Illinois. halt material used to keep an object warm. insurance Noun money paid in good health to guarantee financial or physical health if injury or damage occurs. iron chemical element with the symbol Fe. John M. Van Osdel place containing books and other media used for study, reference, and enjoyment. limestone Noun type of sedimentary rock mostly made of calcium carbonate from shells and skeletons of marine organisms. Louis Sullivan precisely cut pieces of wood such as boards or planks. luxury person who works with bricks, stone, and mortar. masonry construction made of stone or brick. mill machine used for grinding or crushing various materials. Montauk Block (1882-1902) high-rise office building in Chicago, Illinois. mortar sticky substance, such as cement, used to bond bricks or stones. ornament structure that divides or separates. phase stage in a process or transformation.

pine type of evergreen tree with needle-shaped leaves. prairie goods or materials (including land) owned by someone. railroad road constructed with metal tracks on which trains travel. revenue income, or money earned before production costs are subtracted. Robert Collyer (1823-1912) American religious leader (Unitarian). roofing shingle piece of tough material used in overlapping layers to protect a roof. skyscraper metal made of the elements iron and carbon. stockyard pens or other areas where livestock are kept. stone buying, selling, or exchanging of goods and services. understaff Verb to not employ enough people to do the work demanded in a reasonable amount of time. Unitarian structure built above or alongside a body of water, usually so boats can dock. William Le Baron Jenney Today in Media History: The 1871 Great Chicago Fire – Poynter The Chicago Tribune reports on the Great Chicago Fire : "During Sunday night, Monday, and Tuesday, this city has been swept by a conflagration which has no parallel in the annals of history, for the quantity of property destroyed, and the utter and almost irremediable ruin which it wrought.

A fire in a barn on the West Side was the insignificant cause of a conflagration which has swept out of existence hundreds of millions of property, has reduced to poverty thousands who, the day before, were in a state of opulence, has covered the prairies, now swept with the cold southwest wind, with thousands of homeless unfortunates, which has stripped 3,600 acres of buildings, which has destroyed public improvements that it has taken years of patient labor to build up, and which has set back 100 years the progress of the city, diminished her population, and crushed her resources. But to a blow, no matter how terrible, Chicago will not succumb. Take as it is the season, general as the rule is, the spirit of her citizens has not given way, and before the smoke has cleared away, and the ruins are cold, they are beginning to plan for the future." Chicago Evening Journal, October 9, 1871, Chicago Historical Society Image The Chicago Historical Society and Northwestern University have compiled a collection of news related resources .

Here is their report about the Chicago Evening Journal : "Burned out of their downtown offices, Evening Journal editor Andrew Shuman and Tribune co-owner Joseph Medill (who would be elected mayor less than a month later) jointly hired a printer in the West Division in order to get their papers going again. According to Medill's fire narrative, he upgraded the printer's equipment, which the staffs of the two papers alternated in using. The Tribune, a morning paper, operated the presses at night, the Evening Journal, an evening paper, did so in the afternoon. ....The employees of the Evening Journal had done their best to rescue what they could from the fire. Reporter William Hutchinson remembered working desperately with others to save the paper's files. They were able to get four buggies from the Sherman House stables, but no horses, so they hauled the load themselves, three men to a buggy, first north over the State Street bridge and then west across the North Branch of the river. ....The papers of the next several days were full of advertisements from businesses about provisional arrangements, as well as personals regarding lost property and, in some tragic cases, missing spouses and children." Many news reports were written about the fire.

In November 1871 the famous American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted offered his perspective in an article for The Nation magazine. "Besides the extent of the ruins, what is most remarkable is the completeness with which the fire did its work, as shown by the...extraordinary absence of smoke-stains...and...debris, except stone, brick and iron, bleached to an ashy pallor. The distinguishing smell of the ruins is that of charred earth. In not more than a dozen cases have the four walls of any of the great blocks, or of any buildings, been left standing together. It is the exception to find even a single corner...holding together to a height of more than twenty feet." The first stories of the 1871 Chicago fire came in the form of newsprint. More than 140 years later interest in the fire continues, but the stories are now shared in a multimedia world. So yes, there is an app for that (fire).

Great Chicago Fire begins - Oct 08, 1871 - HISTORY.com Great Chicago Fire begins Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1871, flames spark in the Chicago barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, igniting a two-day blaze that kills between 200 and 300 people, destroys 17,450 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless and causes an estimated $200 million (in 1871 dollars; $3 billion in 2007 dollars) in damages. Legend has it that a cow kicked over a lantern in the O’Leary barn and started the fire, but other theories hold that humans or even a comet may have been responsible for the event that left four square miles of the Windy City, including its business district, in ruins. Dry weather and an abundance of wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks made Chicago vulnerable to fire. The city averaged two fires per day in 1870; there were 20 fires throughout Chicago the week before the Great Fire of 1871.

Despite the fire’s devastation, much of Chicago’s physical infrastructure, including its water, sewage and transportation systems, remained intact. Reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth, as architects laid the foundation for a modern city featuring the world’s first skyscrapers. At the time of the fire, Chicago’s population was approximately 324,000; within nine years, there were 500,000 Chicagoans. By 1893, the city was a major economic and transportation hub with an estimated population of 1.5 million. That same year, Chicago was chosen to host the World’s Columbian Exposition, a major tourist attraction visited by 27.5 million people, or approximately half the U.S. population at the time. In 1997, the Chicago City Council exonerated Mrs. O’Leary and her cow. She turned into a recluse after the fire, and died in 1895. Related Videos 10 of the worst wildfires in U.S. history | MNN - Mother Nature Network 10 of the worst wildfires in U.S. history And a look the destruction they left behind.

102 Firefighters battle a blaze in Southern California in October 2007. (Photo: Richard Smith /Wikimedia Commons) Wildfire season is upon us, and this year is shaping up to be another inferno, especially out West. Unfortunately, rampant blazes are increasingly becoming the rule rather than the exception this time of year. It's a trend that comes as no surprise for many climate scientists, who have predicted that one of the effects of global warming will be increased heat waves and drought throughout the Western United States. So it could be that the worst wildfires in U.S. history are the ones that have yet to happen. It's a scary thought, especially considering the damage that wildfires have done in this country. We can only hope this look back is not a sign of things to come. Here are the 10 worst wildfires in American history: The Great Fires of 1871 A rendering of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. (Photo: John R. Chapin /Wikimedia Commons) In 1871, during the week of Oct. 8-14, it must have seemed like the whole world was ablaze for residents of the Upper Midwest.

Four of the worst fires in U.S. history all broke out in the same week across the region . The Great Chicago Fire, which destroyed about a third of the city's valuation at the time and left more than 100,000 residents homeless, stole the headlines. But at the same time, three other fires also scorched the region. Blazes leveled the Michigan cities of Holland and Manistee in what has been referred to as the Great Michigan Fire, while across the state another fire destroyed the city of Port Huron. The worst fire of them all, however, might have been the Great Peshtigo Fire , a firestorm that ravaged the Wisconsin countryside, leaving more than 1,500 dead — the most fatalities by fire in U.S. history. That all of these devastating fires happened at the same time, over such wide distances, has persuaded many researchers that it was no coincidence. In fact, some have even suggested that the fires were caused by a shower of meteorites, fragments from the impact of Comet Biela. Others believe that high winds moving through the region offer a more sensible explanation for the unusual confluence of events.

Great Fire of 1910 Wallace, Idaho was destroyed by the 1910 forest fires. (Photo: U.S. Library of Congress /Wikimedia Commons) The Great Fire of 1910, also occasionally referred to as the "Big Burn," is believed to be the largest single fire in recorded U.S. history . It burned more than 3 million acres in Idaho, Montana and Washington — in all, a total area roughly the size of Connecticut. There were 87 fatalities from the fire and 78 of those were firefighters. The handling of the blaze went on to shape the future of the U.S. Forest Service. Immediately after the 1910 fire, the service vowed to fight all wildfires, even ones that are naturally occurring and of no threat to human life or property. The merits of this policy are still debated today, especially by ecologists who insist that some wildfires are necessary for ecosystem health. Miramichi Fire The Miramichi Fire was one of the worst forest fires in North American history. Though most of its damage was done in New Brunswick (around the Canadian city of Miramichi), the firestorm also reached well into the U.S. state of Maine.

By the time the blaze was dispelled, more than 3 million acres had burned and at least 160 people had been killed. One of the more harrowing survival stories to come out of this event involves the residents along the Miramichi River who waded for hours in its waters while the fire passed. It is said that they shared the water with livestock and even wild animals, including raccoons, deer, bears and large moose, all trying to escape the flames. Oakland Firestorm of 1991 One of the worst urban blazes in modern history, the Oakland Firestorm of 1991 began as a relatively small grass fire in the Berkeley Hills. But after being persistently fanned by the strong seasonal "Diablo winds," that brush fire eventually grew to consume 1,520 acres, including more than 3,500 homes, apartments and condominiums. Such destruction — and in such a densely populated area — meant the disaster carried one of the heftiest price tags for wildfire damage in U.S. history: an estimated $1.5 billion. Shocking footage of the fires was recorded by media outlets and individual citizens.

Here's an example below: Cloquet Fire People and ruins after the Cloquet fire, 1918. (Photo: Minnesota Historical Society ) The worst natural disaster in Minnesota history, the Cloquet Fire of 1918, claimed nearly 500 lives in a single day. The fire began after sparks from local railroad tracks ignited dry brush. When the flamed abated, as many as 38 communities had been razed to the ground, 250,000 acres had been scorched, 52,000 persons had been injured or displaced and the costs mounted to nearly $75 million. Yellowstone's 'Summer of Fire' Ground fires at Grant Village during the 1988 Yellowstone Park fire. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons ) The summer of 1988 saw the largest wildfire breakout in the recorded history of Yellowstone National Park. By the time the fire subsided, more than 2 million acres had been scorched — roughly a third of the entire park. Miraculously, no lives were lost as a direct result of the flames, even though as many as 25,000 firefighters had been dispatched to battle the conflagration.

The fire was heavily covered by the media, in part because of the size of the blaze, but also due to Yellowstone's prestige as one of the most famous national parks in the world. Though the park has since enjoyed a robust recovery, the coverage sparked fierce debate about the U.S. Forest Service's evolving policies concerning wildfire management at the time. Throughout most of the century, the service had issued aggressive measures against all wildfires, vowing to dispense of them quickly. But in the decades leading up to the 1988 fire, a new policy allowing for controlled burns had been tested. In the aftermath of the 1988 fire, stricter guidelines under which naturally occurring fires may be allowed to burn were enacted. You can watch dramatic footage from the fire in the video below: California's Cedar Fire of 2003 Drivers scramble up the embankment to escape as the Cedar Fire crosses the freeway. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt Giles M. Isham /Wikimedia Commons) Fueled by dry summers and whipping seasonal gusts known as the Santa Ana winds and the Diablo winds, large wildfires have become an almost annual occurrence throughout California.

But 2003 might have been the worst year on record for the Golden State. The largest fire from that year was the so-called Cedar Fire , a blaze that began after a lost hunter lit a small signal fire in the Cleveland National Forest, just 25 miles from San Diego. The blaze eventually came to consume more than 280,000 acres — almost 30,000 of which were within the city limits of San Diego — and became the largest single fire in California's recorded history. 2004 Taylor Complex Fire The largest wildfire on record in the U.S. since 1997, Alaska's Taylor Complex Fire of 2004 burned more than 1,300,000 acres. It was the largest conflagration in Alaska's record-breaking 2004 fire season , which ended up seeing roughly 6.5 million acres of forest burned — the highest total in U.S. history. Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 Hinckley after the 1894 fire.

(Photo: Minnesota Historical Society) The second worst fire in Minnesota history (behind the Cloquet Fire of 1918), the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 was a devastating blaze that ravaged more than 200,000 acres and claimed at least 418 lives — one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. The firestorm moved with remarkable ferocity despite lasting only about four hours. The fire is also famous for having killed Thomas P. "Boston" Corbett, the Union soldier who killed John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin. 2007 California wildfires Fire on Mount Miguel in San Diego County on Oct. 23, 2007. (Photo: David S. Roberts /Wikimedia Commons) Each wildfire season in California seems to top the last, but the 2007 wildfires are especially notable for leading to the largest evacuation in California history. In total, the fires displaced nearly 1 million people and razed at least 1,500 homes in the San Diego area alone.

The area covered by the various blazes was massive: more than 500,000 acres stretching from Santa Barbara County all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border. Related on MNN: An American History of Disaster and Response : NPR An American History of Disaster and Response Email September 23, 200512:00 AM ET Hurricane Katrina cut a wide swath of destruction across the Gulf Coast. The storm affected some 90,000 square miles in the region, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and leaving much of New Orleans under water. The reconstruction process is expected to take several years and at least $200 billion, making Katrina the costliest natural disaster in recent U.S. history. But U.S. cities have risen from the rubble many times before. Their experiences may prove instructive as the Gulf Coast looks to rebuild. From the Chicago fire of 1871 to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, here are eight events that challenged American cities and regions to rebuild in the wake of disaster. Surveying the Damage The people standing on the rooftops in this image are likely sightseers who have come to see the Johnstown flood destruction.

Johnstown Area Heritage Association hide caption toggle caption Johnstown Area Heritage Association The people standing on the rooftops in this image are likely sightseers who have come to see the Johnstown flood destruction. Johnstown Area Heritage Association More than 200,000 people were left homeless after an earthquake struck San Francisco and fires ravaged the city in 1906. Corbis hide caption toggle caption Corbis More than 200,000 people were left homeless after an earthquake struck San Francisco and fires ravaged the city in 1906. Corbis A 16-foot ring of levees was constructed around New Orleans after Hurricane Betsy struck the city in 1965. Corbis hide caption toggle caption Corbis A 16-foot ring of levees was constructed around New Orleans after Hurricane Betsy struck the city in 1965. Corbis The downtown area of Greenville, Miss., was covered under 10 feet of water during the Mississippi flood of 1927. Corbis hide caption toggle caption Corbis The downtown area of Greenville, Miss., was covered under 10 feet of water during the Mississippi flood of 1927.

Corbis It is estimated that 8,000 - 10,000 people died when a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas in 1900. Corbis hide caption toggle caption Corbis What Can Be Expected in a Rebuilt New Orleans Sept. 22, 2005 Great Chicago Fire, 1871 The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 ranks as one of the most destructive blazes in U.S. history. The massive conflagration consumed more than 2,000 acres of Chicago's urban landscape, leaving some 17,500 buildings in rubble. One third of the city's 300,000 residents were left homeless. Three hundred people died in the fire. But out of the ashes arose one of the most important urban revitalizations in U.S. history. A fast-paced development plan, coupled with the influence of visionary architects, helped Chicago quickly regain its reputation as a thriving city. Twenty two years after the fire, Chicago affirmed its vitality by welcoming 21 million visitors for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition.

Johnstown Flood, 1889 In the spring of 1889, a flood of epic proportions left Johnstown, Pa., in ruins. Several days of heavy rains had already drenched Johnstown when, on May 31, Lake Conemaugh broke through its dam. The man-made lake was situated high above the city in the mountains 14 miles north of Johnstown. Within an hour, residents of Johnstown were fleeing for their lives as a wave of water and debris roared down the valley. According to the Johnstown Flood Museum Web site, some eyewitnesses described it as "a rolling hill of debris about 40 feet high and a half mile wide." The gigantic wave of water killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed much of the Appalachian town in southwestern Pennsylvania. Many who survived awaited rescue for days on top of broken homes and debris. The news media produced extensive and dramatic coverage of the spectacle, prompting an outpouring of aid. The American Red Cross also responded, marking the first peacetime mobilization in the agency's history. The failure of the South Fork dam came as no surprise.

Owned at the time by the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club, the dam’s reliability had long been a contentious issue. Some area residents suspected that the club had carelessly modified the dam to benefit wealthy homeowners living on Lake Conemaugh. After the flood, several unsuccessful lawsuits were filed against the club. The disaster was ruled an "act of God," absolving the members of liability. Galveston Hurricane, 1900 At the turn of the 20th century, Galveston, Texas, was a growing city. But Galveston's reputation would change forever after a hurricane packing winds estimated at 135 mph struck on Sept. 8, 1900. The massive storm claimed the title of deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Nearly a fourth of the city's 38,000 residents died; a 15-foot storm surge demolished more than 3,600 homes. Nestled at the edge of an island near Houston, Galveston was obviously vulnerable to such a disaster. In an effort to prevent a repeat of the catastrophe, the Texas legislature authorized the construction of a seawall 7 miles long and 17 feet high.

After the seawall's completion, sand was dredged from Galveston's shipping canal to raise the grade of the city by nearly 11 feet. Despite Galveston's efforts to rebuild, the city faded from prominence in the aftermath of the hurricane. Much of the traffic that once made its way through the Galveston Bay was redirected to the newly constructed Port of Houston. Houston eventually supplanted Galveston as the area's major metropolis. Great San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 On April 18, 1906, at 5:12 a.m., an underground tremble awakened San Francisco. About 25 seconds later it caused a massive earthquake. The epicenter was in San Francisco, but the quake was felt from southern Oregon to Los Angeles. A 291-mile-long rupture in the ground visible to this day remains a testament to the temblor's force. Raging fires spawned by the quake caused most of the damage in San Francisco. Ruptured water pipes rendered the fire department nearly useless as the relentless fires, fueled in large part by broken gas lines, consumed more than 4 square miles of the city.

The earthquake and the fires are blamed for at least 3,000 deaths. More than 200,000 were left homeless. Nearly 300,000 people evacuated San Francisco. Oakland, Calif., saw its population double shortly after the earthquake. But San Francisco's population quickly rebounded. Rebuilding efforts set off an economic boom that energized the city and created thousands of jobs. San Francisco's magnificent City Hall, among other famous landmarks, was constructed in the years following the earthquake. But to San Francisco's Chinese immigrant population, rebuilding efforts may have seemed less like renewal and more like removal. Tempted by large profits, city planners sought to turn what was Chinatown into a mainstream commercial district. Plans were made to relocate Chinatown and its inhabitants, most of whom had migrated to temporary settlements after the quake. Advocates for the reestablishment of Chinatown eventually prevailed, after agreeing to implement a more commerce–friendly aesthetic. As a result, the design of some buildings in present-day Chinatown says less about Chinese culture and more about turn-of-the-century stereotypes of the Far East.

Great Mississippi River Flood, 1927 In the spring of 1927 the Mississippi River and its tributaries were bulging with months of unusually heavy rains. On April 16, just 30 miles south of Cairo, Ill., a levee burst, flooding 175,000 acres. The Great Mississippi River Flood had begun. As the torrent made its way south, levees failed in 120 spots along the river, flooding over 165 million acres. According to a government Web site, 600,000 people were left homeless and the flood claimed 246 lives. As the flood made its way down the Mississippi River valley, many people headed north. But amid fears that the region’s labor force would disappear, thousands of black tenant farmers and their families were forced to stay behind. Greenville, Miss., was one of the hardest hit cities, with its downtown covered by 10 feet of water. Over 10,000 survivors from the area — mostly black farmers — found refuge on the 8-foot-wide crown of Greenville's levee.

Hoping to avoid an equally tragic scenario in New Orleans, the governor of Louisiana authorized the breach of a levee south of the city. Two southern parishes were flooded, displacing thousands of people. But the dramatic action was in vain. Broken levees upstream had already diverted enough water to spare New Orleans the flood’s full wrath. The flood was a wake up call for the federal government. Congress enacted the Flood Control Act of 1928, giving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responsibility for flood control on the Mississippi River. A comprehensive plan was set in motion that included the modification of levees and the construction of reservoirs and floodways to divert floodwaters. The new protections were tested in 1937, when the Mississippi River once again threatened massive flooding. The improvements held the river back, sparing the region another catastrophic flood. Vanport Flood, 1948 In 1948, Vanport was the second largest city in Oregon. Originally, the city was created to accommodate an influx of shipyard workers and their families during World War II. Located between Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., along the Columbia River, Vanport was one of the largest public housing projects in the country.

At its peak, nearly 50,000 people, many of whom were black, called Vanport home. Although many of the city's original residents left after the war, nearly 20,000 people remained when the city was destroyed. On Memorial Day 1948, the entire city of Vanport was washed away after a dike along the Columbia River gave way. Although only 15 people died in the flood, the entire population of Vanport was left homeless. Because it was originally intended to be a temporary establishment, there was no effort to rebuild Vanport. With aid from charities and government programs, most of the residents relocated in nearby areas. The exodus prompted an unprecedented influx of African Americans to Portland, which at the time had one of the country's lowest percentages of blacks in its population. Hurricane Betsy, 1965 Following a path similar to Katrina's, Hurricane Betsy gathered strength in the Gulf of Mexico before it struck 50 miles east of New Orleans on Sept. 10, 1965. The storm surge overwhelmed Lake Ponchartrain, pushing water over its levee system. Much of the Crescent City was flooded by several feet of water.

Betsy was blamed for 75 deaths and became the country's first hurricane to surpass $1 billion in damages. Congress responded to the disaster by authorizing the construction of a 16-foot ring of levees around New Orleans. But the levees were constructed to only withstand a Category 3 hurricane, a decision that may have contributed to the flooding when Katrina struck New Orleans 40 years later. Hurricane Andrew, 1992 Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall on Aug. 22, 1992, is one of only three Category Five hurricanes on record to strike the United States. Before Lake Pontchartrain swamped New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Andrew was considered the costliest U.S. hurricane on record, with $25 billion in damages. After tearing through southeast Florida and parts of Louisiana, Andrew left 23 people dead and thousands homeless. Homestead, Fla., was one of the hardest-hit cities, with widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. A less obvious, yet longer-lasting, outcome of Hurricane Andrew was its effect on the insurance industry. It is estimated that $16 billion of total losses were insured.

While larger companies such as State Farm and Allstate could afford to make such large payouts, many smaller firms simply went bankrupt. As a result, new measures, including the creation of a state-managed catastrophe fund, were put in place to protect the industry and consumers. Insurance rates and deductibles nevertheless skyrocketed and several insurance firms permanently left Florida. NPR's Douglas Hopper researched and compiled the information in this report.

Question: Which US city was ravaged by a Great Fire in 1871 that left thousands homeless?
Answer: CHICAGO