No close family anniversaries. On this date in 1871, the “Great Chicago Fire” began, in or near the barn of Patrick and Katherine O’Leary. Legend has it that their cow kicked over a lighted lantern in the barn, but Mrs. O’Leary vehemently denied the story, and the true cause has never been proven. The fire burned unchecked for two days, leveling the central section of the city, leaving 200-300 people dead, more than 100,000 homeless, and 17,450 buildings destroyed.
Ruins of Chicago courthouse
