Effects of a Worse Chicago Fire

Although the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 devastated the residential and inner business districts of the city, the fundamental foundations of Chicago's economic dominance, which was as a gateway city to transport agricultural and manufactured goods between East and West, were unchallenged. The grain elevators, railroads, lumber yards, and stockyards were well outside the burned district. If the economic foundations of Chicago's economy had literally gone up in flames, could it have lost its status as the premier city of the West?
 
Imagine if it had been as severe as the Peshtigo fire that night.
The air was no longer fit to breathe, full as it was of sand, dust, ashes, cinders, sparks, smoke, and fire. It was almost impossible to keep one's eyes unclosed, to distinguish the road, or to recognize people, though the way was crowded with pedestrians, as well as vehicles crossing and crashing against each other in the general flight. Some were hastening toward the river, others from it, whilst all were struggling alike in the grasp of the hurricane. A thousand discordant deafening noises rose on the air together. The neighing of horses, falling of chimneys, crashing of uprooted trees, roaring and whistling of the wind, crackling of fire as it ran with lightning-like rapidity from house to house—all sounds were there save that of human voice. People seemed stricken dumb by terror. They jostled each other without exchanging look, word, or counsel. The silence of the tomb reigned among the living; nature alone lifted up its voice and spoke.
The town was effectively destroyed and between 1,500 and 3,000 people died there.

If the conditions had been right and a firestorm occurred in Chicago thousands would have died and the devastation would have been on the order of Hamburg in 1944. More sustained winds, to fan and spread the fire, and an absence of the rain that began late on 09OCT1871, would have been necessary.

However the city would almost certainly have been rebuilt; historically the reconstruction began almost immediately, financed by business owners and (of course) land speculators. Even if the stockyards and railway infrastructure had been destroyed I'd expect rebuilding to happen, albeit more slowly.
 
If the economic foundations of Chicago's economy had literally gone up in flames, could it have lost its status as the premier city of the West?
Doubtful I'd say, even without the railroads the Erie Canal linked the city into the East Coast and the Illinois and Michigan Canal made it the gateway to the Midwest. By the time of the fire Chicago had something like fifteen different railroad companies with thousands of miles of track already making it a hub, that's what helped cause its population to boom. As catsmate1 wrote they were rebuilding almost immediately, if the damage is greater then the rebuilding likely takes longer but still occurs.
 
Last edited:
Doubtful I'd say, even without the railroads the Erie Canal linked the city into the East Coast and the Illinois and Michigan Canal made if the gateway to the Midwest. By the time of the fire Chicago had something like fifteen different railroad companies with thousands of miles of track already making it a hub, that's what helped cause its population to boom. As catsmate1 wrote they were rebuilding almost immediately, if the damage is greater then the rebuilding likely takes longer but still occurs.
This. Chicago just has too much going for it, location and external infrastructure.
 
A major transportation hub at the south end of Lake Michigan is a given. Where is something else. In my mind Gary might of been the winner instead. Milwaukee is too far north. If there is a geologic POD with the old river outlet at the south end of the lake still in existance then the site would be the Gary area. Of course this would lead to major changes in terms of political boundries etc. Consider the original link between the the Great Lakes Basin and the Missippi Drainage Basin during the Colonial Period was at Portage, WI between the Fox and Wisconsin River. Other close connection points lie in Lake County, IL and Kenosha County, WI with the Des Plaines River being within six miles of Lake Michigan.
 
Top