22. In 1871, another disaster struck Chicago, one which killed 300 people and virtually wiped out the downtown business district. What was it?
From Quiz Chicago, That Toddlin' Town
Answer:
Fire
The Great Chicago Fire started on October 8, 1871, in a barn on DeKoven Street, just a little southwest of the downtown area. By 1871, Chicago had grown to a city of 300,000 - the fifth largest in the United States. The rapid population growth meant that many buildings were made of wood, and topped with tar-paper shingles, which burned readily. The fire spread so rapidly that there was little to do except allow it burn itself out, which it did two days later, after having destroyed the entire business district and leaving over 100,000 people homeless. Chicago started rebuilding within days.
No one knows how the fire started. The urban legend that a cow belonging to a Mrs. O'Leary kicked over a lantern in her barn has been thoroughly discredited. Whatever the cause, the fire did little to halt Chicago's meteoric growth. The city was quickly rebuilt, and by 1880 the population had grown to 503,184.