The Great Chicago Fire Burns Chicago, Illinois to the Ground - Two Original 1871 Bird's Eye View Maps of the Windy City Before and After the Fire
New York: Harper's Weekly Illustrated Newspaper, 1871. 1st Edition. Folio. Very Good. Item #19285
Two spectacular bird's eye view maps of Chicago depicting the Windy City before and after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
These two 1871 issues of Harper's Weekly Illustrated Newspaper, dated October 21 and 28, 1871 feature not only the two large centerfold maps, but also other engravings of the city burning, headline news reports and also eyewitness accounts of one of the greatest disasters in American history. The October 28 issue features a long and detailed report, more than five columns, covering the blaze.
"The Great Chicago Fire burned in Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed 17,000 structures across roughly 3.3 square miles, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city, led to the conflagration spreading quickly. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago and then crossed the main stem of the river, consuming the Near North Side.
"According to Nancy Connolly, great-great-granddaughter of Catherine O'Leary, the fire is said to have started at about 8:30 p.m. on October 8, in or around a small barn belonging to the O'Leary family that bordered the alley behind 137 W. DeKoven Street when Daniel "Peg-Leg" Sullivan accidentally knocked over a lantern while looking for beer for a party. The shed next to the barn was the first building to be consumed by the fire. City officials never determined the cause of the blaze, but the rapid spread of the fire due to a long drought in that year's summer, strong winds from the southwest, and the rapid destruction of the water pumping system explain the extensive damage of the mainly wooden city structures. There has been much speculation over the years on the single start to the fire. The most historically popular tale blames Mrs. O'Leary's cow, which allegedly knocked over a lantern; others state that a group of men were gambling inside the barn and knocked over a lantern. Still other speculation suggests that the blaze was related to other fires in the Midwest that day." - wiki
These issues are both complete, with mild edge wear and some small chipping along the top centerfold, minorly affecting both maps. Disbound with binder's holes along the centerfold. Very Good #2I-033.
Price: $250.00