I know that many of you have never heard of the Peshtigo Fire which took place on October 8, 1871, the same day as the Great Chicago Fire. My very first historical, Whispers of Love (in my Blessed Assurance series) ended with that fire. The Peshtigo fire is often overlooked--was even overshadowed at the time. But it was more deadly and more devastating than the one in Chicago and caused the most deaths by fire in US history, with estimated deaths of around 1,500 people, possibly as many as 2,500. Survivors reported that the firestorm generated a tornado that threw rail cars and houses into the air.
The Wisconsin's governor's wife, Mrs. Lucius Fairchild, heard of the Chicago Fire first. Her husband was away, but she quickly sent supplies to Chicago and then heard of the disaster in her own state. She then led an effort to send supplies to the devastated area of Sugar Bush and Peshtigo.
It's hard for us in the information age to realize how spotty communication was in 1871. Telegraph lines connected only the largest cities so though Madison, WI could get fast news from Chicago, it couldn't from unconnected Peshtigo.
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Heartland Courtship (Wilderness Brides)
My latest historical Heartland Courtship takes place in Wisconsin in 1871. I wonder if Rachel and Brennnan will face the perfect storm. This winter has been an unusual one. What have you see this winter you haven't seen in a while?--Lyn
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Fascinating post, Lyn---I'd not heard of that other fire, only the Chicago fire. How terrible that must've been.
ReplyDeleteThis winter has been very unusual here in Georgia. In January we had snow (which seems like no big deal to folks up north, but for us in the south it was a lot!), then recently we had an ice storm, and lots of people lost power (thank the Lord we never did!). Then yesterday it felt like Springtime here!
I feel blessed that whatever our weather is, I have a nice home to live in--something I'm very thankful for.
Thanks for sharing this post! Blessings, Patti Jo
Hi Lyn, I've read about the Peshtigo fire and how horrifying it was. What a backdrop for a novel! Fires also raged in Michigan on that date, yet the Chicago fire has overshadowed the rest.
ReplyDeletePatti Jo, so glad you've weathered recent storms safely. Yes, we need to count our blessings!
Christine,
ReplyDeleteYes, the fire hit MI too. Those winds were POWERFUL!
And CatMom,
ReplyDeleteI felt sorry for you in GA. Ice is worse than snow any day of the week!
You've had me since the beginning of the series. I hadn't heard of the fire either. I like how you compared it to a perfect storm.
ReplyDeleteI live in WI. Fourth grade Social Studies is all about WI and I remember learning about the Peshtigo fire. It was really devastating.
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