The great Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed four square miles in Chicago, Illinois and was one of the largest disasters of the 19th century in the United States. It was alledged that the fire was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn owned by th O'Leary family, but the Chicago reporter who wrote about the fire later admitted in 1893 that he made it up because he thought it would make a more colorful story. For genealogist, we lament the loss of valuable census records that were stored in the court house within that four square inferno.
The only standing building left from that fire is the Water House, pictured behind me. Although the city was devastated from the fire, Chicago began rebuilding quickly, however the precious information on the census records was gone forever.
Just a reminder.. store your genealogical data in a fireproof file!
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