As the city approaches the 150th anniversary of the 1871 fire, here’s a look back at how Chicagoans celebrated the 25th anniversary.
As published in the Chicago Daily News, sister publication of the Chicago Sun-Times: In 1896, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 would have been a still-fresh memory for many residents in the same way the Sept.11,2001 attacks still felt raw for many on the 20th anniversary last month. But on the 25th anniversary of the fire that year, the city decided to go all out to celebrate its comeback and “unparalleled triumph,” according to the Oct.9 edition of the Chicago Daily News, with a parade of over 100,000 marchers led by Gen. Joseph Stockton. Chicago’s rise from the ashes of the destructive fire, which began on Oct.8,1871 and burned until Oct.10, astounded many. Over 300 people died in the fire, and another 100,000 were left homeless. The fire destroyed more than 17,000 buildings and 1.5 million acres of the city. Recovery, however, moved swiftly despite other setbacks (including more city fires), and by 1896, residents felt ready to celebrate. “When the parade commenced to move from the lakefront at 10:12 o’clock this morning, the downtown portion of the city was crowded with struggling but good-natured humanity,” a Daily News reporter observed.
