Oct 8, 2026 · 9 min · 6 segments
On October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in Kate O'Leary's barn. It quickly got out of hand and became the Great Fire of Chicago. Vote for me in the Signal Awards! It's free, and I'd really appreciate…
But that's not what she said.
She later testified that, quote, "I was in bed myself and my husband and five children when this fire commenced," end quote.
The first she heard of it was when two men came and pounded on her door.
Her husband got up to answer and afterwards ran back to say, "Kate, the barn is afire." Some people would say it was other people in the house who had snuck into the barn and set the fire, and still others said it was a passing tramp, or a spark blown from a neighbor's chimney, or a meteor strike.
Every suggestion was more unlikely than the last, and in the end, there was no verdict on exactly how the fire began, but everyone agreed that it began in the O'Leary barn.
The fire department got their first alarm at 9:30 PM.
By the time they arrived, several buildings were burning, and the O'Learys were dousing their house with water from the washtub.
The commissioner's report noted that the fire marshal called for more and more engines to come, but, quote, "Before this could be accomplished, the strong wind had scattered the fire into the many buildings, all as dry as tinder, and spread it over so large an area that the whole department, although working with their utmost energy, were unable to cut it off or prevent the wind, which soon became a gale, from carrying burning shingles and brands over their heads and setting on fire buildings far away from the main fire.
After it got into the high church at the corner of Clinton and Mather Streets and thence to the match factory and Bateman's planing mills and lumber, it was beyond the control of the fire department," end quote.
And indeed, it was.
The fire crossed the river and took in a roofing establishment, the gas works, and the courthouse.
Most devastating of all, it took the waterworks, by which I mean to say the pumps that delivered water through the firemen's hoses, along with 7,500 feet of hose.
Those waterworks were roofed with wood, and there was no sprinkler system of any kind.
Though they were in the source of water itself, they had no good way to get the water to the roof.
With the one and only pumping station in ashes, all water flow ceased, and all those engines coming in from far afield were of very little good in most of the city.
They could only battle the fire along the riverbanks, where they still had a ready supply of water.
The report again says, quote, "The firemen and their officers were sober and did all that men could do.
They worked heroically to save the property of others when their own houses were burning and their families fleeing from the flames," end quote.
The fires burned for 36 hours before a rain shower finally put it to rest.
The commissioner's report estimated that between 17,000 and 18,000 buildings burned.
About 300 people died.
When it was finally over, many people were naturally angry and upset.
Criticism found its way to all corners.
The commissioners blamed poor building codes and insufficient funds for the fire department.
The politicians blamed corruption in the fire department.
But that's not what she said.
She later testified that, quote, "I was in bed myself and my husband and five children when this fire commenced," end quote.
The first she heard of it was when two men came and pounded on her door.
Her husband got up to answer and afterwards ran back to say, "Kate, the barn is afire." Some people would say it was other people in the house who had snuck into the barn and set the fire, and still others said it was a passing tramp, or a spark blown from a neighbor's chimney, or a meteor strike.
Every suggestion was more unlikely than the last, and in the end, there was no verdict on exactly how the fire began, but everyone agreed that it began in the O'Leary barn.
The fire department got their first alarm at 9:30 PM.
By the time they arrived, several buildings were burning, and the O'Learys were dousing their house with water from the washtub.
The commissioner's report noted that the fire marshal called for more and more engines to come, but, quote, "Before this could be accomplished, the strong wind had scattered the fire into the many buildings, all as dry as tinder, and spread it over so large an area that the whole department, although working with their utmost energy, were unable to cut it off or prevent the wind, which soon became a gale, from carrying burning shingles and brands over their heads and setting on fire buildings far away from the main fire.
After it got into the high church at the corner of Clinton and Mather Streets and thence to the match factory and Bateman's planing mills and lumber, it was beyond the control of the fire department," end quote.
And indeed, it was.
The fire crossed the river and took in a roofing establishment, the gas works, and the courthouse.
Most devastating of all, it took the waterworks, by which I mean to say the pumps that delivered water through the firemen's hoses, along with 7,500 feet of hose.
Those waterworks were roofed with wood, and there was no sprinkler system of any kind.
Though they were in the source of water itself, they had no good way to get the water to the roof.
With the one and only pumping station in ashes, all water flow ceased, and all those engines coming in from far afield were of very little good in most of the city.
They could only battle the fire along the riverbanks, where they still had a ready supply of water.
The report again says, quote, "The firemen and their officers were sober and did all that men could do.
They worked heroically to save the property of others when their own houses were burning and their families fleeing from the flames," end quote.
The fires burned for 36 hours before a rain shower finally put it to rest.
The commissioner's report estimated that between 17,000 and 18,000 buildings burned.
About 300 people died.
When it was finally over, many people were naturally angry and upset.
Criticism found its way to all corners.
The commissioners blamed poor building codes and insufficient funds for the fire department.
The politicians blamed corruption in the fire department.
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