1. The great Chicago Fire of 1871 started in October 8, 1871 and continued till October 10, 1871. (In America, only New York City had a larger population at the time.) In 1997, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution exonerating Catherine O’Leary, an Irish immigrant who died in 1895, and her cow. When the fire broke out, the population of Chicago was around 324,000 and by next 5 years, the population shot up to 500,000. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city led to the conflagration. It took the life of 300 … From the barn at 137 DeKoven Street, on the city's southwest side, the fire spread north and east, into the heart of Chicago's business district. Besides the fact that the Great Chicago Fire started around nine o'clock on Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, somewhere in or very near the O'Leary barn, the exact particulars of its origin are unknown. Patrick and Catherine were questioned but Catherine denied the charge. The Great Chicago Fire was a historical narrative written by Robert Cromie in 1958, a little less than 100 years after the fire took place. Reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth, as architects laid the foundation for a modern city featuring the world’s first skyscrapers. In addition, 300 people died in the flames. The story says that the fire began when a cow owned by Mr. and Mrs. OLeary kicked over a lantern in the OLeary barn. The "Great Rebuilding" was the effort to construct a new, urban center. The blaze, which later became known as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, is said to have started inside a barn that was located on DeKoven Street. The fire, the most famous in American history, claimed about 300 lives, destroyed some 17,450 buildings, and caused $200 million in damage. Martial law was lifted several weeks later. The Great Chicago Fire- Myths vs. Facts . But was the cow really the culprit? The fire burned wildly throughout the following day, finally coming under control on October 10, when rain gave a needed boost to firefighting efforts. About a third of Chicago was destroyed, 300 lives were lost, and nearly 100,000 people were left homeless. Over 17,000 homes and structures were completely destroyed. Robert Cromie had many accomplishments to be proud of, since he was a war correspondent, a sports journalist, a columnist, a book editor/author, and a radio and television host. While most of the infrastructure of Chicago was destroyed by the fire, the transport system was left relatively unharmed that helped with the reconstruction phase. The fire began on October 8, 1871 and burned for two days until October 10th. dry weather and an abundance of wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks That year, a fire killed 300 people and left thousands homeless as it destroyed three square miles of Chicago. 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