Government or official record
Site of the Origin of the Chicago Fire of 1871
City of Chicago
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 hereMunicipal landmark record for the origin, duration, burn path, deaths, displacement, and surviving marker.
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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.
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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.
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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