Diana,
Peshtigo burned 680 times the area of the Chicago Fire, killed 6.67 times as many people, and did it all in one day, instead of three.
Still, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow gets all the press.
As important as the building code improvements that came in the aftermath of the Chicago Fire, the lessons learned from Peshtigo had greater, long-term impact.
Yep. Having grown up in Wisconsin, it is a huge part of our state History and was always taught in school.
“The Peshtigo Fire Museum commemorates the Great Peshtigo Fire. The Peshtigo Fire Museum was founded in 1971 to preserve the history of the horrific fire storm that destroyed the city claiming 1,200 lives and surrounding area that took a total 2,200 lives. A mass grave in the adjacent cemetery contains the charred remains of approximately 350 people. In 2014, approximately 6000 visitors from 8 countries and 48 states visited. The cemetery is listed on the National Registry of Historic places. It is the 1st registered historical marker for the State of Wisconsin. The museum is open daily 10am to 4pm from Memorial Day and closing on the anniversary date of the fire October 8th.”
https://www.travelwisconsin.com/history-heritage/peshtigo-fire-museum-203446