Michigan fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: reflections

After I wrote about the 1871  Peshtigo Fire and learned about that Michigan was among the Lake States that also experience forest fires in 1871, I was drawn to learn more.. I do appreciate history, but I am not exactly a fire historian. It is hard to explain why I was drawn to learn more about the Michigan Fires of the late 19th and early twentieth centuries. Chalk it up to curiosity and a desire to learn more. I decided to take you along on this journey.

I offer these reflections, however inadequate, to honor and remember all those in Michigan who were affected by these fires, those who survived and those who did not. 

I can count on two fingers the number of times I have been to Michigan, both trips were about twenty years to Detroit region on business. I did have time for one short jaunt west of Ann Arbor to some beautiful country.  

I feel like my words are wholly inadequate to convey what I experienced when I read Betty Sodder’s book, Michigan on Fire. It seems a bit simple to say that I was profoundly moved. Even after reading the accounts of those who survived the fire or saw others die I do not think that I can ever fully appreciate what all those affected by the fires went through. I can say this about the Michigan fires of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the same holds true for those affected by today’s wildfires. Having said that, I do care.

I know that many virgin White Pine stands were decimated by these fires. In many cases this resulted in the loss of jobs either when lumber companies either left the area or when there was no more marketable timber left. I find myself wondering what happened to these towns affected by these fires. In many cases, life went on albeit very differently. In other cases, such as Au Sable and Oscada that burned in 1911, the towns never really recovered from the effects of these fires, yet life does go on.

I was struck by the fortitude of the survivors as well as the compassion of those who tried to help their neighbors, as well as the support by railroads and businesses. I felt the heartbreak of those who tried and failed to save family members from the fires. 

As I reflect on what happened to Michigan as a result of the fires that burned in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, my mind does go to the present day where many states, such as California and Colorado have communities that are or were devastated by wildfires. It is beyond my capabilities to try to compare and contrast a forest fire from the late nineteenth century that burned in Michigan with major wildfires that burned in the present day western United States and Canada, but such fires have the potential of changing people’s lives. Sadly, the lingering effects of these fires can be emotionally and financially devastating. 

For those who were affected by these fires and are likely now deceased, may you rest in peace. 

Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires
• December 20: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections (this article)

Michigan fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: 1911 AuSable - Oscoda Fires

 

The weeks leading up to the July 11, 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda fires in Iosco County were very dry with several smaller fires in the days leading up to July 11th, a day with high winds (Sodders. 1997: 319). No one knows for sure how the July 11th fire started, but some think that sparks from a train may have contributed to the fire). Au Sable and Oscoda, are located at the mouth of the Au Sable River, across the river from each other (Au Sable is on the south side of the River). Au Sable, the larger of the two had six saw mills, including the Loud Family Mill, a sash and blind factory, and the Au Sable River Boom Company working with logs floated on the River by various mills) and a vital downtown. The exact death toll is unknown but it may have been from five to twelve people losing their lives (Sodders, 1997:315-20).

As I learned of the 1911 Au Sable-Oscoda Fire, I was immediately struck by the utter devastation to these two towns. These towns lost businesses and people. I was left with the impression that these towns never quite recovered from the fire. 

According to Sodders, “historians speculate the conflagration of 1911 delivered the fatal punch to the fast-waning lumbering era in northeast lower Michigan. Many industries simply did not or could not afford to rebuild. Oscoda received far less damage from the fire than her sister city, Au Sable, but neither town rebuilt to its former stature after the fires (Sodders,  1997:319)”.  Sodders' research indicated that the Loud Family Mill was never rebuilt with the Loud’s moving their operations to Oregon.

Thornton talks of the effect of the fire on the people: “the tragedy of the fire was the breaking off of long friendships among neighbors of two communities; entire families, left destitute in a matter of minutes, suddenly had to leave to find housing and employment. Some moved to nearby towns to live with relatives, while others moved to Detroit and other industrial centers of the state (Thornton, Neil 1987, Along the Historic Riviere aux Sables, Chapter 17—‘The Fire of 1911’ Printer’s Devil Press: Tawas City, Michigan quote in Sodders, 1997:349).

I am left wondering what life is like in these Au Sable and Oscoda now. The places called Au Sable and Oscoda are still here but with far fewer people and in a very different form then before the fire. Life is going on but no where near as it was before the 1911 fire. Perhaps this was inevitable and the 1911 fire just made this happen sooner?

Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires
• December 20: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire (this article)
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Michigan fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: 1908 Metz Fire

Like the other fires that I have written about in this series, the months leading up to the 1908 Metz fire were extremely dry. The cause of the 1908 Metz Fire (October 15, 1908) may never be known (Sodders, 1997: 262). At least 26 people died in the fire, 83 families lost their homes and 1,500 people were either homeless or without food and supplies (Sodders, 1997:285). approximately 2,370,000 acres burned with an estimated damage of $2.5 Million Dollars (Sodders, 1997:294).

In the course of reading Sodder's book as well as accounts of the Peshtigo Fire, the stories of the suffering of those who died as well as those who survived are difficult to read. 

I thought that there could be no new horrors until I read Sodders account of the 1908 Metz Fire with excerpts from period Newspapers, I was horrified to read of flames surrounding a rescue train a short distance from Metz. Twelve people, all women and children who had hoped to be rescued died, burned alive. (Sodders, 1997: 263).  I write this to honor those women and children who died on that train. The accounts were horrible, and I was not comfortable reading the accounts. But I knew that I had to read Sodders reporting on the tragedy of the rescue train to honor those who died. I write this to honor all who died.

Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires
• December 20: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire (this article)
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Michigan fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: 1896 Ontonagon fire

 

Sodders devotes one section of her book (1997:157-254) to forest fires that burned in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from 1847 to 1949. A significant number of forest fires burned over the course of these years were of varying degrees of intensity and loss of property. Many lost everything as a result of these fires. In the mid-nineteenth century the Upper Peninsula had large stands of virgin White Pine. At least in the late 19th century timber interests were dominant in the Upper Peninsula. The loss of timber, both in forest as well as piles of logs awaiting transport was staggering. Many timber operations did not survive these fires. Many workers in the timber industry not only lost their jobs but their homes as well. Contributing factors to the cause of these fires varied with early years dominated by dry weather, poor land clearing practices, and poor timber management with large areas of slash left on the ground.

I am going to focus on fires that burned in Ontonagon in 1896 in early September 1896. The couple of months leading up to the September fires were very dry and some fires that were burning in this period caused concern. High winds picked up on or about September 12th. Diamond Match had milling operations in and near Ontonagon, a processing mill near a lumber yard burned to the ground along with millions of square feet of logs. The Diamond Match mill burned to the ground a couple of weeks later. On September 25th, much of Ontonagon burned to the ground leaving over 2,000 people homeless. Diamond Match never rebuilt, moving their milling operations elsewhere.  Millions of board feet of Diamond’s lumber remained, the town wanted it to recoup some of their losses but Diamond hauled all the lumber away by rail. Near by cities responded quickly with relief sent via rail, much of it was shipped for free. The Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad give five day free passes to fire sufferers. Military sent tents for a tent village (Sodders, 1997:168-78). 

There is a nice summary of the Ontonagon fires found in the Hometown Chronicles. The Hometown Chronicles is devoted to historical and genealogical data. The article on the Ontonagon Fires from the Hometown Chronicles may be found here where you will also find links to other newspaper articles about the fire including this eyewitness account reproduced in the Ironwood Daily Globe on August 26, 1954 

The name Diamond Match means something to me as I remember wooden matches from Diamond Match going back to my youth. No, I was not allowed to use matches and my parents kept them out of reach but the box came out on camping trips. I have a box of Diamond matches in my kitchen cabinet. As I read Sodder's account of the 1896 Ontonagon Fires, I paid special attention to Diamond Match. I was not surprised to read that their mill and lumber yard burned and the loss of lumber. I was deeply saddened to read that the owners of Diamond Match did not rebuild in their mill and lumberyard in Ontonagon. At some point Diamond Match shipped their remaining lumber out of town by rail. I can can certainly understand and empathize with the loss of so many residences and businesses and then losing Diamond Match, a major employer, on top of it. I do not think that I can imagine what the residents of Ontonagon went through. But their story is not necessarily so different from the stories of other towns burned in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But for reasons that are hard for me to explain, it is the story of Ontonagon and Diamond Match that had an impact on me  With the loss of so much virgin White Pine timber from this and earlier fires, the decision of Diamond Match to not rebuild makes a very small amount of sense. Ontonagon did rebuild, but like other areas of Michigan the days of White Pine lumbering were over. I recommend reading a fine article on Diamond Match reproduced by The Free Library.

Note: 

1. Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.
2. The links to the two articles in the Hometown Chronicles and the link to the article from The Free Library were working at the time I wrote this article. I do not do a lot of historical research. So, I have no experience in how long sites like these two will have these articles freely available.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires
• December 20: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire (this article)
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Michigan fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: 1881 Thumb Fires (part 2)

 

Michigan 

For purposes of this discussion, the Thumb region in Michigan are Huron, Tuscola, and Senilac Counties; as well as portions of Genesse, Laperre, and St. Claire Counties to the south of Tuscola and Senilac Counties (if you want to see a county map of Michigan please see this map from the U.S. Census Bureau). In 1881 the Thumb region burned again. One important contributing factor to these fires was slash in the form burned timber and the like left over from the 1871 fires. Other contributing factors to the outbreak in the Thumb were: drought in the couple of months leading up to the fires, and fires used by settlers and others to clear land. (Sodders 1997:82). Fires burned in all the counties marked in yellow on the map below.

In a Detroit Free Press article by Doug Moreland -- The Heavens Rained Fire -- published on September 27, 1981, Moreland describes the conditions leading up to the fires and the toll the fires took:

There are few trees. Once forested with giant white pines, 150 feet tall and five feet in diameter, the countryside was logged in the early 1800s. The pine was replaced by second-growth maple, aspen, and birch. Then, exactly 100 years ago this month, that second growth was destroyed by a fire of almost unimaginable proportions, a holocaust still recalled in some accounts as ‘the Great fire of 1881.’

Starting east of Saginaw, freak hurricane winds lashed burning woodland into a fire storm that covered 1,500 square miles, destroyed 3,400 buildings, left 15,000 homeless in the face of winter and killed well over 300 (reprinted in Sodders, 1997:84).

As I read Sodder's account of the 1881 Thumb Fires, I was again struck by the toll the fires took. At the same time, as Ms. Fraiser mentioned in her video on the 1881 Thumb Fire (see my December 20th article), I too latched onto the role of Clara Barton and the newly created American Red Cross. Clara Barton and her colleagues founded the American Red Cross in May 1881, go to this short history of the American Red Cross  for more information. 

Thumbwind has a two-minute video about the 1881 Thumb Fire.

Direct link to video on YouTube from Thumbwind

One of the first domestic relief efforts for the newly minted American Red Cross was the 1881 Thumb Fires providing food, clothing, medicine and shelter along with about $80,000 in cash donations to the fire victims. (Sodders, 1997:147-8).

Speaking of the important role of the American Red Cross, Sodders says: “Certainly the American Red Cross put down deep roots in our Michigan Thumb Area. But had this devastating fire not taken place, they may not have proved their national worth for some additional years. So in essence, Clara Bar’s new organization needed the Michigan tragedy just as much as the fire victims need the help of the Red Cross. This humanitarian organization proved its worth in raising and disbursing of relief money and the rehabilitation of persons suffer personal losses during times of disaster. And, yes, Michigan was just such  disaster area with 70 townships burned, 1,521 houses destroyed, 220 dead and over 14,000 people in need of assistance. (Sodders, 1997:149)”

It would seem that the Thumb region needed the American Red Cross after the 1881 fires and the American Red Cross need the 1881 Thumb Fires. I am glad that this was mutually beneficial.

Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks) Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires
• December 20: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2 (this article)
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Michigan fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: 1881 Thumb Fires (part 1)

 

In the course of background research for this series, I heard references to the thumb region of Michigan. Recall from my December 17th article that the thumb region was one of the regions burned in the 1871 fires. I was curious about the geography of this region so after a search on YouTube, I found this 15 minute video from Ms. Fraser of the Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair (VLASC), I am not quite certain of their website so I am not going to guess, but they do have a YouTube Channel. I am not certain, but I wonder if they work with middle and/or high school students who are not attending in-person classes for some reason. Ms. Fraser did a video on the 1881 Thumb Fires for the VLASC, it is a little over 15 minutes. She has done good research including but not limited to used Sodder's book, Michigan on Fire. I am sharing this video now after writing about the 1871 Fires and before I write about the Thumb Fire (part 2) because I benefited by hearing her discussion in the beginning of the video about where the 1881 fires started as well as learning a little more about the geography of the Thumb region of Michigan. She spends some time discussing what caused the fires, the impact on people affected by the fires, and relief efforts including the work of the Red Cross which I will also write about in my coming article on the 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2 on December 22nd.

Direct link to video on YouTube from the Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair County

Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires
• December 20: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1 (this article)
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Michigan fires of late 19th and early 20th centuries: 1871 fires

 

Michigan’s first recorded catastrophic fire occurred in the fall of 1871, at the time of the great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin which took over 1,500 lives. These two famous fire overshadowed those that swept our state of Michigan, literally from shore to shore, rendering some 15,000 citizens homeless. To date, the death toll remains incomplete, with most research sources declaring a ball park figure in the range of some 200—plus or minus—deaths. Similar to other great conflagrations, these fires of 1871 were actually a series rather than just one large inferno. But often these smaller fires going together and created walls of flame and their own breed of ‘hell’ on earth (Sodders 1997:5-6).

The 1871 fires burned over a wide area of Michigan in early October of 1871. There had been little if any rain for at least two months preceding these fires. 

Sodders writes: “ … it appears that many—if not most—of these fires started out as a single runaway blaze, totally out of control dye to the high wind gusts, finally joining towpath other such fires until the fire became an enormous beast that simply could not be stopped for miles—forays—until it ran out of fuel and the winds to fan it (Sodders 1997:9). ”

In reading about the 1871 Michigan fires and preparing for writing this piece, I was struck by the geographical extent of the fires. The map that I am sharing, prepared from Google Earth shows only some of the towns and counties affected by these fires.In reading about the 1871 fires and the 1881 fires which I will write about in a later article, you will see references to the thumb region, yet this region looks like the thumb of a mitten. If you look at the map, you will see three counties that look like they form a part of the thumb of a mitten (Huron, Tuscola, and Senilac Counties). I decided to limit the counties (yellow markers) and towns (green markers) in the map to those mentioned in the video below. Thumbwind has a much better map, which is also interactive and includes most of the 1871 fires as well as historic photos and articles, please go here.

The video focuses on the 1871 fires across the Lake States including but not limited to Michigan. I am sharing it here because of there account of the fires that burned in Michigan. Note that it is likely that Mrs O’Leary’s cow did not knock over a lantern that started the Chicago Fire (see this Smithsonian article for more information), note you may see an ad when you click on the link. Whether or not the comet led to the 1871 fires is still open for debate.

Direct link to video on YouTube (podcast) from ThumbWind Publications

Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871  Fires (this article)
• December 20, 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Michigan fires of late 19th and early 20th centuries: Introduction

I wrote a post yesterday on the research I have been doing on fires the burned in Michigan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today I write an introduction and preliminary timeline for this series of articles.

I learned a little more about the Michigan Fires of the late 19th and early 20th century was reading Stephen Pyne’s chapter on “Sky of Brass, Earth of Ash: A fire History of the Lake States" (199-21) in his book,  Fire in America (1997). Pyne's chapter served as a good lead into Sodder's book, Michigan on Fire. I would suggest that anyone interested in learning more about the Michigan Fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries find a copy of this book and read it. It is a good and thorough account with many primary sources from those who witnessed and/or covered the fires for various period newspapers.

In writing this series, I plan to write an article on each of the fires Sodder's covers in her book: 1871, 1881, 1896, 1908, and 1911. In most cases, there were many fires in each year. After providing a brief synopsis and perhaps some relevant links to other articles or videos, I write about one thing about each fire(s) that left an impression on me.

I want to pause and offer one thing that I was to learn from Sodders. That is, Alpena is one of the towns that burned in the fires of 1911 (Sodders, 1997, 327). Alpena is a city in Alpena County bordering Thunder Bay on Lake Huron in Michigan. At the some point something clicked and I realized that it was the Alpena Community College that responded to my inter-library loan request. I am quite certain that the staff of the Alpena Community College Library had no idea why I was interested in Sodder’s book. However, when I learned that Alpena was affected by the 1911 fires, I felt a connection with them as if they were somehow involved in what I am trying to do. I returned the book to my library on December 3rd for transport back to Alpena, I wrote them a thank-you letter telling them why I was interested in their book and about my blog. 

As I read Sodder’s book and did other background research on the internet for this series of articles on Michigan Fires from 1871 to 1911, I learned a little about Michigan geography and a small sense of what life was like in the later half of 19th century. At the same time, I am quite aware that the fact that I am in New Jersey during a pandemic and for various reasons am unable to travel to Michigan, that I am at somewhat of a disadvantage.

The U.S. Census Bureau has a map that I am sharing of Michigan with counties that I found useful. If you have trouble reading the map, please feel free to click on the link and you will be taken to a pdf file that you might be able to enlarge. 

Obtained on December 15, 2021 from https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/general_ref/stco_outline/cen2k_pgsz/stco_MI.pdf

Notes: 

1. Pyne, Stephen J. Fire in America. 1997: University of Washington Press

2. Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction (this article)
• December 17, 2021: 1871 Fires
• December 20, 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

Coming up: series on Michigan Fires of late 19th and early 20th centuries

In the course of doing background research on the 1871 Peshtigo Fire I learned about other fires that burned in Michigan on the same day including the Chicago Fire, see Hultquist's article on the Great Midwest Wildfires of 1871. I knew that I wanted to know more about the Michigan fires of 1871, and thanks to Professor Randall Schaetzl, in the Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Science at Michigan State University. Prof. Schaetzl had knowledge of these fires that burned in Michigan in the later part of the 19th century. He recommended that I read Betty Sodder’s Michigan on Fire (Thunder Bay Press: 1997), edited and designed by Don Weeks.

I knew that I wanted to write more about these Michigan Fires, a good place to start was by reading Sodder’s book. So I decided to use the inter-library loan service from my local library where patrons like me can borrow a book from another library if the book is not owned by the local library. I was not surprised to note from the inter-library loan database that most of the copies of Sodder’s book were owned by libraries in Michigan. I put in my request and a few days later, Michigan on Fire arrived on loan from the Alpena Community College Library in Alpena, Michigan. I finished the book in early December and returned it to my local library who in turn mailed it back to the Alpena Community College.

I am still developing this series as I write this, but as I think that Sodder's book will arrive in Alpena today, I wanted to post this article today in part as a shout out to the Alpena Community College, but also to let you know what I have been working on for the last six weeks or so. 

Articles in this series:

• December 15, 2021: Introduction
• December 17, 2021: 1871 Fires
• December 20, 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 1
• December 22: 2021: 1881 Thumb Fires, part 2
• December 27, 2021: 1896 Ontonagan Fire
• December 29, 2021: 1908 Metz Fire
• January 3, 2022: 1911 Au Sable - Oscoda Fire
• January 5, 2022: Reflections

In Remembrance: Final Thoughts (for now) of the1871 Peshtigo Fire

In considering how I wanted to approach this third and for now final article on the 1871 Peshtigo Fire, I have two points I want to make. First, I am glad I some time learning a little more about the general history of the Lake States, a part of the United States that I am not that familiar with. I do think that learning from our history is important. Then of course, there was learning more about the 1871 Peshtigo Fire itself. While the worst fire in terms of loss of life, there were many other wildfires in the Lake States from 1870 to 1930 (Pyne, 1997, 200). Over the time that I have devoted this blog to aerial wildland firefighting and related issues, I have done enough reading to know that lessons are learned from historical fires and as possible changes in fighting and managing the impacts of wildland fires are made. I suspect that some of the current wildland fire policy on both the State and Federal level have came to be because of historic wildfires such as the 1871 Peshtigo Fire. For example, Pyne (1997, 213) talks about State-level efforts in the late 19th century aimed at reducing fire hazard in the Lake States, these efforts waxed and wane over time but it was a start. Hultquist (2013) talks about the improvement in the support of the National Weather Service in wildland firefighting including but not limited to the role of onsite NWS Incident Meteorologists. 

Second, Around the time I wrote my October 13th article on rebuilding after the 1871 Peshtigo Fire I found a reference to an article by Hutch Brown in the Fall 2004 edition of Fire Management Today, (pp. 20-30):  “The Air Was Fire: Fire Behavior at Peshtigo in 1871”. I would suggest that any of you interested in knowing more get this issue of Fire Management Today, at the time I write this it is freely available on the internet from this US Forest Service site. Brown writes about what happened during the days leading up to the Peshtigo Fire that increased the fire danger and what happened the night the fire burned in Peshtigo with a focus on land use and weather conditions. Brown then finishes up with a section on lessons learned where he discusses what happened during the 1871 Peshtigo Fire and the lessons that for modern wildland firefighting including but not limited to the unpredictability of wildfires, and the importance of escape routes. Brown has an impressive reference list at the end of his article while 18 years old, it includes useful references.

On a more personal note, reading about the 1871 Peshtigo Fires has touched me and I hope that the lessons from these and other wildfires in the Lake States during the late 19th and early 20th century won’t be forgotten. I noted that the Peshtigo has not forgotten this fire with a museum devoted to the fire open seasonally as well as a memorial and a cemetery markers, see the Peshtigo Fire Museum website ( http://www.peshtigofiremuseum.com ) for more information. I will always remember those known and unknown who died during the fire as well as the stories of those who survived the fire. May they rest in peace.

Other articles in this series:

In Remembrance: Peshtigo Wisconsin Fire, October 8-9 1871

In Remembrance: Rebuilding After the Peshtigo Fire of Oct. 8-9, 1871

References

Brown, Hutch. 2004. The Air Was Fire: Fire Behavior at Peshtigo in 1871. Fire Management Today (Fall, V64,4). Obtained on October 12, 2021 from  https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev2_019070.pdf

Hultquist, Thomas, Science and Operations Officer, U.S. National Weather Service Twin Falls Minnesota, The Great Midwest Wildfires of 1871, Obtained on October 7 from https://www.weather.gov/grb/peshtigofire2

Pyne, Stephen J, 1997, Fire in America, University of Washington Press (Seattle and London)

In Remembrance: Rebuidling After the Peshtigo Fire of Oct 8-9 1871

There was a great deal of damage from the Peshtigo Fire of October 1871  (see my October 8th post in remembrance of the Peshtigo Fire), including damage to telegraph lines  in the immediate vicinity of Peshtigo. Word reached Governor Lucius Fairchild’s office on October 10th. Considering the times, a 24 hour delay in the word getting out about the massive destruction and loss of life was impressive. Apparently, the Governor and his aides were in Chicago with train loads of supplies and food for those affected by the Chicago Fires. Until the Governor and his aides returned, his wife lead the efforts to gather supplies and food to help the victims of the Peshtigo Fire. After the word of the fire got out to the rest of the country, cash donations and supplies poured into Wisconsin. Health care and lodging were provided. It is not clear when reconstruction of Peshtigo and other affected towns began, I would imagine that reconstruction began in the spring of 1872, if not sooner if the weather allowed. Nor is it clear on how long this reconstruction took, but it seems that a great deal of Peshtigo had been reconstructed by 1881 (Epilogue to Pernin, 1971, pp. 271-2).

In reading brief accounts of the aftermath of the Peshtigo Fire (Epilogue to Pernin, 1971, pp 271-22, and Schafer, 1927), I noted and am moved by how quickly the word got out and supplies began flowing into Peshtigo. It was not only the people of Wisconsin who responded but supplies and cash donations came from other parts of the country (Schafer, 1927). 

I noted one comment that Schafer made: “Naturally, a large part of the succor came from the people of Wisconsin. But distant communities were permitted to help. One of the early contributions came from the state of Maine whose people understood the forest fire peril and were peculiarly response to the situation in Wisconsin and Michigan (Schafer, 1927, p.105)". I got curious about the reference to Maine so I did a little reading. From what I understand forest fires as they were known then were not uncommon in northern Maine. I know only a little information about forest fires that burned in Maine prior to 1871. However, I did learn a little about the Miramichi Fire that burned about 3,000,000 acres in northern Maine and neighboring New Brunswick, Canada in 1825. People from Miramichi New Brunswick sought refuge in the Miramichi River much like the people of Peshtigo sought refuge in the Peshtigo River (See The Ten Worst fires in U.S. History). 

It did not take me long to learn of the fire that burned in Portland, Maine on July 4, 1866, burning one-third of the city, and leaving about 10,000 people homeless (see The Portland Press Herald Special Edition Report on the  150th anniversary of July 4, 1866 Fire). When Shepard writes of support from the State of Maine for the people of Wisconsin and Michigan, I can not help but think of how people from outside of Maine responded to the 1866 Portland Fire. Perhaps returning the "favor" because they know what it felt like to see and live through the destruction that fires can bring.

Still to come, I have one more article to write about the Peshtigo Fires. I hope to be finished with my research by the end of next week.

Other articles in this series:

In Remembrance: Peshtigo Wisconsin Fire, October 8-9 1871

In Remembrance: Final Thoughts (for now) of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire

References

10 of the Worst Wildfires in U.S. History, obtained on October 13, 2021 from https://www.treehugger.com/worst-wildfires-in-us-history-4864091

Pernin, Peter (Rev) 1874, Great Peshtigo Fire: An Eyewitness Account, reprinted in Wisconsin Magazine of History 54,4 (Summer 1971) pp. 246-272. obtained on October 5, 2021 from https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wmh/id/46361

Portland Press Herald, 2016, The Night Portland Burned (Special Project), obtained  October 13, 2021 from 

Schafer, Joseph, 1927, Editorial Comment: Great Fires of Seventy-One, Wisconsin Magazine of History 11,1 (September 1927) pp. 96-106. Obtained on October 5, 2021 from https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wmh/id/6167

In Remembrance: Peshtigo Wisconsin Fire, October 8-9, 1871

 I don’t quite recall when I first heard of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire that burned some 1.2 to 1.5 million acres in and around Peshtigo Wisconsin on October 8 to 9, 1871, leaving over 1,200 people dead and destroying the town of Peshtigo. I write this today in remembrance of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire. A map of the fire may be found on this page from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

I want to start out by sharing a video report on the fire.

Direct link to YouTube video from KRQE

The Peshtigo Fire was one of at least three fires that burned on October 8, 1871, two others were the Chicago fire and the wildfires that burned in Michigan, however the most destructive of these wildfires in terms of loss of life is the Peshtigo Fire (see Hultquist’s article on the Great Midwest Wildfires of 1871).

Stephen Pyne has a chapter on the fire history of the Great Lakes in his book, Fire in America: A Cultural History of Wildland and Rural Fire (1997, pp. 199-218), if you are so inclined and have access to his book (perhaps from your local library) it is worth a read. He writes about the period from 1870 to 1930. He says: 

Fires of unprecedented size and intensity rampaged over small villages and towns of moderate size and thereby earned names as historic events. … The fires were the product of a particular set of conditions: wholesale logging which made the Lake States from 1880 to 1900 the chief source of timber and an unrivaled tinderbox of abandoned slash; farmers looking for cheap, easily cleared land and not adverse to use land for land clearing; and railroads, whose transportation potential made both logging and farming economical feasible and whose brakes and smokestacks were a frequent source of ignition (Pyne, 1997, p. 199). 

The Rev. Peter Pernin, a Catholic Priest who served in Peshtigo in 1871 and survived to write about his experiences in an essay writes of how fire was used in 1871 (note1): "The year 1871 was, however, distinguished by its unusual dryness, Farmers had profited … to enlarge their clearings, cutting down and burning the wood that stood in their way. Hundreds of laborers employed in the construction of a railroad acted in like manner, (Pernin 1971 pp. 247-8)” Fr. Pernin goes on to say that hunters would stop at night and set small fires for cooking and warmth, 

An exacerbating condition was present in 1871, extreme drought, see Schafer, 1927, p. 98 who writes of tinder dry vegetation, wells drying up, and streams and rivers running low. The Wisconsin Historical Society has a short essay on the night Peshtigo was destroyed by fire, here is an excerpt describing the prolonged drought:

It had been dry in 1871, terribly dry, the summer drought extended well into fall. Grass, weeds, and trees became like tinder. Streams ceased to run and wells gave out. Swamps that ordinarily held two or three feet of water crackled under foot like twigs.

The drought covered much of the United States. Fires raged from the Alleghenies to the Rockies and beyond. In Wisconsin, fires sprang up in many parts of the pine forests. In the northeastern part of the state, they burned from west of the Wolf River to Lake Michigan. This is an area 70 miles wide and 100 miles deep. Little Suamico, Pensaukee, Sturgeon Bay, and Oconto were saved from destruction only because everyone who was able helped to fight the flames.

October came, but it brought no rain. (Wisconsin Historical Society, Historic Essay: The Night Peshtigo Wisconsin, Was Destroyed by Fire).

Several smaller fires had burned in and around Peshtigo in the days leading up to October 8. (see Pernin pp.248-9), and with the extreme drought and high winds on the night of the eighth. On Sunday, October 8, some in Peshtigo had been in Church services:

The place, a flourishing village of from 1500 to 2000 souls, lay seven mils inland from the port of the same name, being, being built on high sandy ground on both sides of the Peshtigo River. On  Sunday night (October 8), just as the people of the village were returning to their homes after church, a startling, ominous noise was heard in a southwest direction. Some described it as like the rumbling noise of a great storm. Others spoke of its resemblance to the sound of a threshing machine. Others said it was like the moving of many freight trains. … a great light appeared overhead and suddenly, almost instantaneously, fire from heaven as it seemed to the doomed inhabitants, fell upon every part of the town which burst into flame almost like a magazine of powder. The river failed to impede the onrush of the conflagration (Schafer, 1927, p. 101).

Survivors reported such as Fr. Pernin reported high winds during the Peshtigo Fire. While detailed meteorological observations from that period are somewhat limited, there may have been cold front accompanied by high winds that moved in on the night of the Peshtigo fire that may have led to the horrific fire conditions that night (Hultquist, 2013).

In the aftermath of the fire in the morning of October 9, many in Peshtigo and outlying areas were dead. The exact numbers of those who perished, the figure of 1,200 dead may well be conservative, the number dead may have been as high as about 2,400 (see Hultquist's article on the 1871 Midwest Fires). I read two accounts of survivors of the Peshtigo fire, one by Fr. Pernin (cited previously) spent hours in the Peshigo River during the fire storm helping others, and the Abraham and Elizabeth Family who built a fireline around their house, see this Historical Essay from the Wisconsin Historical Society. I found both accounts be very poignant, the horror of that night came through.

The fire burned between 1.2 million and 1.5 million acres, burning 17 towns including Peshitgo. The damage in Peshtigo was be far the worst of the 17 towns. Of the 1,200 to 2,400 deaths about  800 perished in Peshtigo (see Estep reprinted by the US NWS Greenbay Wisconsin).

I should note the Peshtigo, WI has a Peshtigo Fire Museum where you may read stories and learn more about the fire. I should note that I was not able to their article on the fire because of security issues, but I had no problem with the stories page and their home page. In addition, there is Peshtigo Fire Museum Page on Facebook which seems to be available to those without a Facebook account.

All I can say at this juncture is that I remember the Peshtigo Fire, the Chicago and Michigan Fires that burned on October 8, 1871.  The Michigan Fires that night may have resulted in 500 deaths and 300 people likely died in the Chicago Fire (see Hultquist's article on the 1871 Midwest Fires). 

I will write more on the Peshtigo Fire next week, so stay tuned. 

Note: Edited on October 16, 2021 for clarity, readability, and other minor corrections.

Notes

1. Fr. Pernin's account of the Peshigo Fire that I reference in this article was reproduced by the Wisconsin Historical Society in The Wisconsin Magazine of History in 1971, V54, #4. There is a later reproduction of Fr. Pernin's account, The Great Peshtigo Fire, the most recent being in 2014 published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press: 2nd edition with a forward by Stephen J. Pyne. I have not read the 2014 edition.

Other articles in this series:

In Remembrance: Rebuilding After the Peshtigo Fire of Oct. 8-9, 1871

In Remembrance: Final Thoughts (for now) of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire

Reference List

Estep, Kim, Green Bay Press-Gazette reprinted by the U.S. National Weather Service Greenbay Wisconsin, Peshtigo Fire. Obtained on October 1, 2021 from https://www.weather.gov/grb/peshtigofire

Hultquist, Thomas, Science and Operations Officer, U.S. National Weather Service Twin Falls Minnesota, The Great Midwest Wildfires of 1871. Obtained on October 7 from https://www.weather.gov/grb/peshtigofire2

Hultquist, Thomas, 2013, The Great Peshtigo Fire of 8 October 2013, presentation at the Omaha AMS Chapter Meeting on 13 January, 2013

Mass, Jeff, 1999, Peshtigo Fire Map. Obtained on October 6, 2031 from https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM101577

Pernin, Peter (Rev) 1874, Great Peshtigo Fire: An Eyewitness Account, reprinted in Wisconsin Magazine of History V54 #4 (Summer 1971) pp. 246-272. obtained on October 5, 2021 from https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wmh/id/46361

Pyne, Stephen J, 1997, Fire in America, University of Washington Press (Seattle and London)

Schafer, Joseph, 1927, Editorial Comment: Great Fires of Seventy-One, Wisconsin Magazine of History V11 #1 (September 1927) pp. 96-106. Obtained on October 5, 2021 from https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wmh/id/6167

Wisconsin Historical Society, Historical Essay: Peshtigo Fire. Obtained on October 6, 2021 from https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1750

Wisconsin Historical Society, Historical Essay: Place Abraham and Place, Elizabeth, Survivors of Peshtigo Fire. Obtained on October 7, 2021 from https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS15931

Wisconsin Historical Society, Historical Essay: October 8, 1871: The Night Peshtigo Wisconsin, Was Destroyed by Fire. Obtained on October 6, 2021 from https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2911