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1871 'Prairie Farmer' First Broadside Map of the Chicago Fire - issued days after fire!
ChicagoFire-prairiefarmer-1871God's vengeance never so utterly blotted Sodom and Gomorrah from existence as has been the fairest portion of the Garden City. The world was never before so lighted up as by the billows of fire that enwrapt doomed Chicago on the dread night of October 9. Acres on acres, miles on miles, of hottest flames consumed the treasures of ten and tens of the fairest years, and men's feet were laved ankle-deep in the flying ashes of destroyed fortunes. Three thousand acres of earth's riches, the layers on layers of the accumulated results of unparalleled industry and thrift, and of the mightiest intellects and hands that God's system of planets has ever given birth to, swept away by the hot, huge breath of an hour, fired by the million fold tongues of flame!The article breaks the fire into two separate related conflagrations. The first fire, it reports, started at
a beer saloon located at No. 195 South Canal Street. From there it spread, burning four entire blocks and four parts of blocks, embracing the territory from Van Buren Street to Madison, and from the River to Clinton Street.A second more violent fire began
At half past nine o'clock on Sunday evening, October 15 [this can only be a misprint], just as people were returning from church, a small cow barn, belonging to a cottage on the corner of DeKovan and Jefferson streets, in the West Division, was discovered to be on fire. Almost [sic] in a moment, the flames spread over a large number of sheds, barns, and small houses, and before engines could be called together by the alarm bells, very many buildings, on either side, were entrapped in flames.The above is no doubt the origin of the O'Leary Cow legend.
Prairie Farmer (1841 - Present), published in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the oldest agricultural publications in the United States. Initially launched as The Union Agriculturist and Western Prairie Farmer by John Stephen Wright (1815 - 1874), it aimed to provide practical information and advocacy for Midwestern farmers. Over the decades, it grew in influence, offering a mix of farming techniques, industry news, and rural lifestyle content, adapting to the changing needs of its readership. Wright actively managed the newspaper until 1856, when he hired an editor and turned his business interests elsewhere. During the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Prairie Farmer's offices in central Chicago were destroyed, but some printing tools, a subscriber list, and back issues were saved, allowing the editors to continue their operations and even meet publication deadlines for their next issue, just days after the event. The Prairie Farmer played a crucial role in advancing agricultural education and innovation, supporting the development of modern farming practices. Today, it continues to serve as a vital resource for the agricultural community, maintaining its legacy of support and information for farmers. More by this mapmaker...
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This copy is copyright protected.
Copyright © 2024 Geographicus Rare Antique Maps