Life at Oak Grove

Today is the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire which happened in  in 1871.  The ifre leveled 3 1/2  square miles, destroying 17450 buildings and leaving 98500 people homeless and about 250 people dead.   Loss of the city was estimated to 200$ million.  Legend says that the fire began because the cow of Mrs O'Leary kicked a lantern in the barn on DeKoven Street.

On the same day - same year a fire destroyed the entire town of Peshtigo, WI, killing more that 1100 people.  This one was a forest fire which burned across six counties.