On Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, the barn behind Patrick O'Leary's home on DeKoven Street caught fire. The cause of the blaze is unknown, but countless theories abound. Many factors combined to feed the fire: drought conditions prevailed; most structures and fencing were built from a dry resinous pine which ignited rapidly; other serious fires had occurred during prior week exhausting firefighters and damaging their equipment.
The Great Fire burned out of control for 36 hours cutting a swath of destruction four miles long by one mile wide. It is estimated 300 people perished; 98,000 were left homeless; 17,450 buildings were destroyed. Fully one-third of the city burned. The affected area today is bounded by Lake Michigan on the east; Harrison and Taylor Streets on the south; Fullerton on the north; and the Chicago River branches the west. The tragedy did leave one positive legacy as the city experienced one of the world's greatest building booms in the post-fire decades.
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