The great conflagration. Chicago: its past, present and future

Front matter

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Preface

This volume is devoted to a connected account of the great Chicago conflagration, with an incidental narrative of the destruction caused by the terrible forest fires in Wisconsin and Michigan, and a necessarily brief statement of the great fires of the world, which may serve for purposes of comparison. It is the account of witnesses of, and actors in the terrible scenes that closed with the destruction of a great city. No person saw the whole, or even any considerable part of the fire field. It was too mighty and vast. We have sought to comprehend in our account all that is vital to an intelligent conception of the origin and progress of the fire, and the condition of the city, both before and afterwards ; and in so doing to make the work valuable as a book of reference. With this end in view, it is compiled as a condensed statement of the commercial and industrial resources of the city, its private enterprises and great

4 PREFACE.

public improvements, and the record of its marvellous growth. The work opens with the very beginning of the fire and follows it, street by street, along its terrible path of devastation; describes the prominent buildings consumed ; the thrilling, heroic and even humorous scenes in the streets, during the fire, and gives careful estimates of the losses, somewhat in detail, and a statement of insurance from official sources. The operations of the Relief Society are touched upon sufficiently to give the reader a general idea of the manner, in which charity has been disbursed. The losses in churches, schools, and institutions of music, art and amusement, as well as the public libraries, are also dwelt upon somewhat at length. In order to arrive at official reports .as far as possible, the pages of the book have been held open to the latest possible moment, and thus much valuable matter has been secured. Liberal space has also been given to the narrative of the Northwestern fires, the great fires of the world, and the work of rebuilding the city. With this preliminary statement the authors give their work to the public.

Chicago, December 1, 1871.

CHICAGO IN 1818.

CHICAGO IN 1871. View from City Hall, looking south and southeast.

CITY HALL before the fire. .

CITY HALL after the fire.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE before the fire.

DRAKE AND FARWELL BLOCK, Wabash avenue, before the fire.

FIELD, LEITER & CO.'S BUILDING before the-fire.

VIEW OF THE RUINS from Harrison street, north on Wabash avenue.

VIEW ON CLARK STREET, south from Washington, before the fire.

TRIBUNE BUILDING before the fire.

ILLINOIS & MICHIGAN CENTRAL R. R. DEPOT before the fire.

ILLINOIS & MICHIGAN CENTRAL R. R. DEPOT after the fire.

BOOKSELLERS' ROW, State street, before the fire.

SHERMAN HOUSE before the fire.

UNITY (Mr. Collyer's) AND NEW ENGLAND CHURCHES before the fire.

CHICAGO CITY WATER WORKS before the fire.

PALMER HOUSE, State street, before the fire.

6 ILLUSTRATIONS.

SHEPHARD BLOCK, Dearborn street.

PALMER HOUSE, State street, after the fire.

RUSH MEDICAL COLLEGE after the fire.

SAND'S BREWERY after the fire.

ILLINOIS CENTRAL R. R. LAND DEPARTMENT after the fire.

PACIFIC HOTEL after the fire.

BIGELOW HOUSE after the fire.

ST. JAMES CHURCH after the fire.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, South side, after the fire.

SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH after the fire.

UNITY (Mr. Collyer's) CHURCH after the fire.

NEW ENGLAND CHURCH after the fire.

CHURCH OF THE HOLY NAME, CATHOLIC, after the fire.

MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DEP-jT after the fire.

OGDEN'S RESIDENCE, only residence left on North Division of burned district

METHODIST CHURCH BLOCK after the fire.

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH (UNIVERSALIST,) after the fire.

ST. JOSEPH'S PRIORY (GERMAN CATHOLIC,) after the fire.

WHERE THE FIRE BEGAN.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND COURT HOUSE after the fire.

POST OFFICE AND CUSTOM HOUSE after the fire.

CROSBY'S DISTILLERY after the fire.

FIRST NATIONAL BANK after the fire.

REPUBLIC LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY afier the fire

MASONIC TEMPLE, Dearborn street, after the fire.

DESTRUCTION OF THE CENTRAL ELEVATOR, at the mouth of Chicago river.

THE GREAT CONFLAGRATION as it appeared from the prairie.

DIAGRAM, showing the origin of the fire, and situation of the most prominent buildings destroyed.

A COMPLETE MAP OF CHICAGO, showing the burned and unburned districts.

Contents

Chicago as it Was

Situation— Plan of the City— Indian Trading Post— Gen. Wayne's Treaty — First Land Sale — First Settlement in Chicago— Pioneer Settlers — Mission Church and School — Village Taverns and Cabins— Fort Dearborn — Land Grants and Public Improvements— 1 ' Town of Chicago " Laid Out — The Beginning of Chicago — Growth of the Town — The City of Chicago Incorporated, 1837 — Increase of population till 1871 — How the City was built — Improvements, &c, &c. . 19

TJve Water Works