Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Fires · 8–10 October 1871Open article references →
The Great Chicago Fire
DeKoven Street origin site and citywide burn district · United States
Why editors use it hereLocal museum synthesis and collection gateway covering causes, lived experience, relief, and rebuilding.
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Quick read
From the evening of 8 October through early 10 October 1871, wind-driven fire crossed Chicago from the West Side into the business district and North Side.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
A fire began in the barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary on DeKoven Street between about 8:45 and 9:30 p.m.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Uncertainty
The O'Leary barn location is documented, but investigators never proved how it ignited; the lantern-kicking cow was a newspaper fabrication later admitted by its reporter.
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Why it matters
The fire demonstrates how extraordinary destruction can emerge from ordinary urban choices: cheap materials, connected fuel, scarce water, weak enforcement, and growth without reserve capacity.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
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Quick read