CHICAGO (CBS) -- On the night of Sunday, Oct. 8, 1871 ... the fire – which are scarce and priceless 152 1/2 years later. One such item can be found outside the Chicago History Museum, at ...

{Polk and Canal Streets], Chicago Tribune, October 10, 1871 3. 10pm - midnight The fire, fanned by the strong southwest wind, is on the move -- and terrified Chicagoans start to flee. Struggling ...

Over the span of just a few days in October 1871, the Great Chicago Fire devastated the city, claiming the lives of more than 300 people and leaving over 100,000 residents homeless.

Mr. Smith is the author of “Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City.” When the monumental fire of October 1871 struck Chicago, the city, which had ...