The Peshtigo Fire Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wisconsin

Peshtigo is a small town in north eastern Wisconsin with a population of about 3,500. The nearest large city is Green Bay about 45 miles south. Peshtigo is only a few miles from Green Bay, an inlet of Lake Michigan.

Answer: Cyclonic winds

Drought, high temperatures, and cyclonic winds were all factors in creating a "perfect storm" which also were factors in the Chicago Fire. The winds were so intense that the flaming debris flew across Green Bay into Door County and caused extensive damage there.

Answer: All of these

In 1871 the area was in a state of development. Calling on its richest natural resource, the area was a prime lumbering community. Clearing of land by fire, waste products on the ground from sawmills,and careless disposal of other wood waste gave a generous fuel to the disaster.

Answer: 1.5 million acres of land

Although sources vary, something between 1.2 and 1.5 million acres seems to be most accurate. Twelve towns and villages were completely destroyed. The Fire covered an area twice the size of Rhode Island.

Answer: 1500 lives lost

Because of record keeping at the time, it is very difficult to get an accurate count of victims and survivors. Survivors were often victims as well due to burns and injuries and the devastation to families. Victims and survivors were near 2500. Four or five times as many people died as in the Chicago Fire.

People sought rivers, streams, ponds and Green Bay as sources of protection in the waters. Debris would fall into these water sources and many were scalded to death. Three Hundred and fifty people were buried in one mass grave because they were burned so badly that they could not be identified and because there were not enough survivors alive to assist in identification.

Answer: Peshtigo was the center of the Fire and most devastated.

It is believed that the Fire completely leveled Peshtigo is less than an hour. At the eye of the cyclonic whirlwind of Fire, the speed was over eighty miles an hour and the storm advanced at about six miles an hour. (I made up Chief Peshtigo).

Answer: Went to Chicago to assist with the aftermath of the Chicago Fire

As soon as Fairchild heard about the Chicago Fire, he organized a party to go there and provide relief assistance. Even though the two fires were on the same day, news of the Chicago Fire reached Madison first. Being an old military man, he reacted quickly but had left Madison before news of the Peshtigo Fire reached him. His wife, Frances Bull Fairchild, is reported to have diverted relief supplies scheduled for Chicago to Peshtigo.

However, he did return from Chicago and put forth much effort to assist the community.

Answer: 800 plus

Eight hundred is the most accepted figure. The area was often filled by lumbermen, fur trappers, and native Americans who probably were not included in the census.

Children who survived the Fire, were often unofficially adopted so many of the family names were lost as there were little in the way of records.

Falling debris often fell on people causing their hair and clothing to catch on fire. Panicked people ran into buildings for safety but those buildings often collapsed.

Answer: All of these

No trees grew in the Fire area for over 25 years. Today Peshtigo relies much on being a recreational area with fishing, boating, and rafting opportunities. It has developed an industrial park.

Answer: None of these are true

The comet Bielo was visible but came no where near the earth. Meteorites are cold when they reach the earth--often with ice. The area was something of a boom town as lumbering, sawmills, and small wood processing factories were doing well.

The Peshtigo River is calm now as logs no longer float from the forest into Green Bay.

There is no evidence of unrest among any population groups.