Summary
The Great Chicago Fire began about 9 p.m. on Oct. 8, 1871, and lasted through early Oct. 10. Ground zero was the barn owned by the O'Learys, at 137 DeKoven St. The fire killed some 300 people, left 100,000 homeless and destroyed most of the city18,000 structures, including theaters, hotels, banks, newspaper offices and public buildings. The O'Leary house itself, in front of the barn, was virtually unscathed. The fabled kicking over of a kerosene lamp by Mrs. O'Leary's cow has been widely discounted as the cause of the fire. Instead, the cause is seen to have been the city's eagerness to grow faster than any place in history. Within 40 years of its birth as a city, Chicago had grown from a half-square-mile...
The Great Chicago Fire began about 9 p.m. on Oct. 8, 1871, and lasted through early Oct. 10. Ground zero was the barn owned by the O'Learys, at 137 DeKoven St. The fire killed some 300 people, left 100,000 homeless and destroyed most of the city18,000 structures, including theaters, hotels, banks, newspaper offices and public buildings. The O'Leary house itself, in front of the barn, was virtually unscathed. The fabled kicking over of a kerosene lamp by Mrs. O'Leary's cow has been widely discounted as the cause of the fire. Instead, the cause is seen to have been the city's eagerness to grow faster than any place in history. Within 40 years of its birth as a city, Chicago had grown from a half-square-mile town of 150 people to an 18-square-mile city of 340,000. Most buildings were wood, the cheapest and fastest material for construction. Those few made of stone or brick were heavily trimmed in wood. The sidewalks were wood, so were the signs and the roofs. Downtown streets were lined with pine planks. The city was a tinderbox. At the height of the fire, a great mass of humanity headed to the cool, green prairie on the city's outskirts, then Fullerton Avenue. There are no known photographs of the fire in progress, but illustrations do exist. Many are by noted Civil War illustrator Alfred Waud, who was in St. Louis when he heard about the fire and jumped a train north. The first load of lumber to rebuild the city was delivered the day the final flames were extinguished. Just 22 years later, the city had rebuilt enough to host the World Columbian Exposition.
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Tribune picks: O'Hare Airport shops and services
Delays are a part of life, especially at one of the world's busiest airports. Make the most of your terminal downtime with our guide to shops and services. Everything from massages to martinis can be had between flights, if you know where to look....Tags: Field Museum of Natural History, University of Illinois at Chicago, O'Hare International Airport
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From gritty roots to urban chic
Chicago Tribune reporterGary Deutsch wanted to live in a neighborhood with the cosmopolitan flair and pulsating pace that his digs in San Diego lacked. He found that in River North, a once-derelict district being transformed by new development into one of the city's most vibrant...Tags: Condos and Houses, Lincoln Park, Personal Service, Property, Hotels and Accommodations
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Walkabout fails to make connection with its environs in 'War Garden'
Special to the TribuneIf Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, it is also a city of characters and cranks, perhaps none more cranky than Capt. George W. Streeter, the shanty-dwelling entrepreneur who, in the years after the Great Chicago Fire, transformed a marshy area just east...Tags: Donald Trump, Michael Keaton, Grant Park
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Other public sculptures
1. Bison, 1909, (Edward Kemeys) Humboldt Park Alan Artner:The lions flanking the stairs to the Art Institute of Chicago are some of the most famous animal sculptures in North America; much less known is this pair of bison from the same period that...Tags: Metal and Mineral, Claes Oldenburg, Animals, Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park
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The World's Columbian Exposition at the 'White City'
Chicago TribuneThe World's Columbian Exposition, which opened on this date, was the most famous world's fair ever held on American soil. The fair, a celebration by the nation--and the world--of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas by Christopher...Tags: Grover Cleveland, Government, Ceremonies, Society, National Government
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True north in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Special to The Los Angeles TimesBayfield, Wis. It was a good sunrise. It was a true sunrise. Hemingway would have liked it. I stood on the shore of Lake Superior in this tiny Wisconsin town -- not exactly Ernest Hemingway country -- but I was traveling on the way to one of Papa's...Tags: Labor Day, Wildlife, Ernest Hemingway, Rivers, Fishing
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10 things you might not know about beer
As we celebrate the start of Germany's Oktoberfest on Saturday, and as we mourn the recent death of connoisseur Michael 'The Beer Hunter' Jackson, let's investigate the civilizing qualities of beer. 1. Why did the Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock instead...Tags: Major League Baseball, Government, Distilling and Brewing Industry, Beverage Industry, Cleveland Indians
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Find your way
Tribune staff reporterBeginning this week, Chicago becomes the center of the mapping universe as dozens of the world's most fascinating, influential and downright odd maps will be shown over the next several months at the massive Festival of Maps. At more than 30...Tags: Colleges and Universities, Multi-Sport Events, Lake Shore Drive, Culture, Northwestern University
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Exercise and see the sights on City Running Tours
U.S. Get a running start at seeing the sights Are you a runner? Now you can see the sights of Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Diego and New York while on the run - literally. City Running Tours offers tours for joggers, led by guides who point out...Tags: Williamsburg (Bronx, New York), Wrigley Field, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg (Brooklyn, New York)
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March 26, 2006
Dear Tom, Where was Chicago's official temperature taken before 1906? Jack Kielczynski, La Grange Dear Jack, Chicago's climate records date back to October 1870. Before 1906 the official thermometer was moved many times, but it was always at a downtown...Tags: La Grange
Jul 8, 2008
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Oct 7, 2007
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Sep 17, 2007
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Nov 1, 2007
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Sep 9, 2007
|Story| Newsday
Mar 26, 2006
|Story| WGN-TV
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