A Brief History Of Chicago's Great Fire Of 1871

Back in 1871, Chicago looked nothing like it does today. In fact, almost two-thirds of the buildings in Chicago were made of wood, while most of the buildings had very flammable roofs made of tar or shingles. The Chicago Fire of 1871, also known as The Great Chicago Fire, began on October 8th and lasted until October 10th of 1871. It was a Sunday evening when a fire broke out in the O’Leary’s barn (137 DeKoven Street), which was located by Little Italy on a map today. It’s a myth that it started because a cow tipped over a lantern in the barn, but realistically, it’s noted that Catherine O’Leary was deemed as the perfect scapegoat. The fire spread so quickly that it created a massive wall moving at about 100 miles per hour. This fire wall created tornado-type winds, causing houses to be tossed in the air, and beach sand turned into glass due to the tremendous forces of heat.
After two days of raging, uncontrollable fires, rain finally began to fall, leaving 3.3 miles of Chicago, Illinois in complete devastation. There were over 300 people dead, 100,000 people homeless and more than $200 million of destroyed properties. While this was a horrific tragedy for Chicago, it was also recognized as one of the most spectacular events of the 19th century. This fire was a prime milestone in the city’s history because it brought back significant reconstruction efforts, spurring considerable economic development and population growth.

Although the fire had damaged vast amounts of land, along with the spirits of the locals, some of Chicago’s physical infrastructure remained intact, like the transportation systems. Architects began laying the foundation for a modern city and were ready to create the world’s first skyscrapers. Within the next five years, the population of the city nearly doubled. By 1890, the city had a population reaching more than one million people, making it the second largest city in America.

Today, there are still three large buildings in the affected area that were able to be repaired. These buildings include the Chicago Water Tower, St. Michael’s Church, and the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station. The Chicago Fire Department training academy is located on the site of the O’Leary property where the Great Chicago Fire started. Finally, in 1997, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution that exonerated Catherine O’Leary of her (and her cow’s) accusation of starting the fire.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.