The document summarizes the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which burned three square miles of the city and caused massive damage. It discusses the factors that led to the fire such as drought conditions and widespread use of wooden buildings. While Mrs. Catherine O'Leary was originally blamed for the fire after reports her cow kicked a lantern, the document explains she was likely just a scapegoat and later investigations failed to determine the true cause. It also outlines the impact of the fire and efforts to rebuild the city with new fire prevention laws and building materials.

1. “The Great Chicago Fire and
the Myth of Mrs. O’Leary’s
Cow”
By Richard F. Bales
Benjamin Spees
PAD 5398

2. The Great Chicago Fire
 Occurred on October 8, 1871
 Killed at least 300 people
 Left over 100,000 people homeless
 Caused approximately $192,000,000 million in property
damage
 Burned 3 square miles of the city in less than 2 days

3. Factors Leading up to the Great
Fire
 Extremely hot and dry Summer
 22 day drought
 Chicago consisted of over 561 miles of wooden sidewalks.
 28 “significant” fires during the first week of October
 Fire at the Lull & Holmes planing mill occurred October 7,
1871
 Firefighters worked throughout the night to extinguish this fire,
only to learn about the fire at Mrs. O’Leary’s barn early the
following morning

4. Chicago Fire Department
 Employed by 193 Firemen
 Utilized:




16 steam engines
6 hose carts
4 hook-and-ladder companies
1 hose elevator
 Fire Marshal Robert Williams
requested more resources but was
declined
 In 1871, each steam engine was
responsible for more than 2 square
miles of combustible territory

5. Mrs. Catherine O’Leary
 Married to Patrick O’Leary
 Lived at 137 DeKoven Street, on Chicago’s West Side
 Ironically, little is known about Mrs. O’Leary personal life
 Owned 5 cows and sold the milk for income

6. Why was Mrs. O’Leary Blamed?
 The story was first reported by Chicago Evening Journal,
claiming the fire broke out on DeKoven street near O’Leary’s
barn
 Mrs. O’Leary’s cows were blamed by kids in the
neighborhood and then reported in the newspapers
 Many post-fire newspaper editions supported this claim
 Mrs. O’Leary was an easy scapegoat
 Mrs. O’Leary’s defense: she was in bed with her husband
and only milked her cows in the morning. This was supported
by several witnesses

7. Great Chicago Fire Investigation
 Conducted by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners
 50 people were interviewed
 The investigation of the fire is viewed as a complete failure
by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners
 Awful selection of questions
 Key witnesses were only asked general questions
 Investigators issued their final report with no clear
explanation for the fire’s cause
 “The real mystery of the Chicago Fire is not its cause, but
rather, why the fire officials chose to conduct their
investigation in this manner.” -Bales

8. Real Cause of the Great Fire
 Conflicting theories
 Daniel “Peg Leg” Sullivan
 Dennis Regan Mystery
 Someone else from the
McLaughlin party

9. Rebuilding After the Great Fire
 New laws in place to prevent fires
 Many citizens could not afford
fire insurance
 Due to strict rebuilding laws, many
businesses were forced out of Chicago
 Ironically, a CFD training facility was
built where Mrs. O’Leary’s barn
previously stood

10. How the Great Fire Effects us
Today
 New responding methods to Fires
 Preventative measures in dry seasons
 Larger Fire Departments and more resources
 More thorough and effective investigative commissions

11. Richard F. Bales
 Cleared Mrs. O’Leary’s name of any wrongdoing in 1997
 Maintains the only set of land records that survived the 1871
fire
 Currently employed by Chicago Insurance Title Company

12. Resources
 Bales, R. (2007). The great chicago fire and the myth of mrs. o'lear'ys cow.
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.
 Chicago Fire of 1871. (2013). The History Channel website. Retrieved 10:53,
November 19, 2013, from http://www.history.com/topics/great-chicago-fire.
 Schons, M. (2011, January 25). Chicago fire of 1871 and the great
rebuilding. Retrieved from
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/news/chicago-fire-1871and-great-rebuilding/?ar_a=1
 Soniak, M. (2012, October 25). Did a cow really cause the great chicago
fire?. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/12864/did-cow-reallycause-great-chicago-fire
 The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow by Richard F.
Bales Review by: Ann Durkin Keating. Journal of the Illinois State Historical
Society (1998-) , Vol. 97, No. 2 (Summer, 2004), pp. 159-160. Published by:
University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Illinois State Historical Society.
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40193641

13. Resources Continued
 www.aptosfire.com
 homicide.northwestern.edu
 www.cardcow.com
 www.thechicagofire.com
 chicago-outdoor-sculptures.blogspot.com