Picture it - Chicago, 1871 - it's dry, windy, and everything is made of wood (sound familiar?). Chicago's small force of firemen are exhausted from battling a fire at a lumber yard next to a cardboard box factory - if you put that in a movie people would think you made it up! Then, around 8 pm one dry October night, there's a fire in the O'Leary barn. A cow probably didn't do it... probably.

Learn more about the Great Chicago Fire with us! Episode up now! 

Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City: Smith, Carl

https://www.weather.gov/grb/peshtigofire

Chicago Symphony’s conductor-to-be Theodore Thomas and the Great Fire

https://graphics.suntimes.com/great-chicago-fire/

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