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October 8, 2007

Burn, Baby, Burn

On this date in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire blazed through nearly four square miles in the city, leveling more than 18,000 structures and killing at least 300. You can commemorate the 186th anniversary of the disaster by checking out the dramatic, albeit mostly fictional, Hollywood account of the inferno, the 1937 film In Old Chicago, starring Tyrone Power and Don Ameche. They play the sons of Mrs. O'Leary, who has gone down in legend as the owner of the cow who purportedly started the conflagration. However, those looking for a historically accurate account of the fire might want to turn to Richard Bales' book The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, which exonerates the unfortunate bovine once and for all. Meanwhile, readers of all ages will enjoy Jim Murphy's award-winning The Great Fire, which includes historical accounts and numerous sepia-tinged photographs of the aftermath of the blaze.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at October 8, 2007 12:00 PM