The great fire that burned down much of Chicago in 1871 became a legendary event in its time, and its fame has lasted through the Perhaps one reason that the Great Fire memorable is that it involved so many because peculiarities and contradi began humbly but spread spectacularly throughout the city: it destroyed massive amount of property but miraculously took a relatively small human life; it somehow left Chicago ready and a e Midwest within just a few years. to bound back to become the largest city in The great fire did indeed begin, as the story say, in the cowshed of Mrs. Patrick O'Leary 8:45 p.m. October 8. 187 The O'Learys lived on the west side of Chicago, the winds propelled the fire toward the center reached the South Fork of the Chicago River, and observers expected fire to be contained by the River. Fireballs leaped over the river, however, and later, on Monday, October 9, over the north branch of the river to devastate side of the city. The fire rage for hours and ended only the when rain began to fall on Monday night. When the flames finally went out, only a handful of buildings were still standing in an area of three and one-third square miles, which was about one third of the city. The great fire completely leveled business district and resulted in a loss of worth goods and property. one-third of the city's 300,000 residents were left homeless fire took a relatively the small number lives. three hundred people in the Great Fire of Chicago, while fire on the very same evening Peshtigo, Wisconsin, over 1,100 Perhaps even more surprisingly, Chicago's growth as a city appears to have been spurred rather than checked, the Great Fire. Within a week, banks reopened for merchants began begin to sell their goods from makeshift stands and shacks. The city began to rebuild what the fire had destroyed, but on much grander and more ambitious scal 1880, less than ten years after the fire, Chicago had passed St. Louis as the most popul in the Midwest and had become the center of commerce for the first entire region.7 The great fire, therefore, maybe most fascinating for its numerous surprises and old one that suits the peculiar nature of this fire: The house of contradictions. The final note, an and Mrs. Patrick O'Leary was left standing when the flames finally died Copyright Education Southeast Asia l'he Lid