THE CHICAGO FIRE of 1871
The summer of 1871 had been an unusually dry one in Chicago. Between July and
October, only 5 inches of rain fell. In addition to twenty-seven fires in the first week of
October, on Saturday night, October 7, a blaze broke out in a planning mill on the West
Side and destroyed almost every building in a four block area before it was brought under
control Sunday morning. They lost a hose and other fire-fighting equipment, including
one of seventeen steam fire engines and a hose cart. Nearly half of Chicago's 185 firemen
fought this fire and many were on duty…
