Great Chicago Fire
Who really sparked the Great Chicago Fire?
4.5 (38)
33 mins
Explore how a wind-fueled firestorm overwhelmed Chicago’s defenses and spread beyond control. Discover the conspiracy theories around the fire’s origins, and how greed, poor planning, and ignored warnings turned a disaster into catastrophe.
Ep 1:
Sparks in the Barn
Behind the myth of O'Leary's cow lies a murkier truth of contradictory testimonies, a runaway inferno, and the fateful loss of Chicago's waterworks that left the city defenseless.
Ep 2:
A City Primed to Burn
Beyond the barn, discover how corrupt officials and flammable ambition built Chicago into a tinderbox—and how an innocent immigrant woman became history's most convenient scapegoat.
Ep 3:
Rising from Chicago's Ashes
As Chicago rebuilds from ruin, a fierce battle over wood, brick, and profit reshapes the city—leaving behind ghost stories and lessons that still haunt it today.
Discussions (18)
Seth
Level 4 · 10 mo agoI’d blame the peg leg guy
Louis
Level 8 · 10 mo agoMedill was right. Banning wooden buildings isn't 'discriminatory' it is basic SURVIVAL. People whine that standards are too expensive then act shocked when the city burns. You can't prioritize feelings over physics.
Ford
Level 10 · 10 mo agoCow innocent, leg guilty
