Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Centennial History of Menominee County by Hon. E. S. Ingalls, Menominee: Herald Power Presses; 1876 [page 74] CHAPTER XIII THE GREAT WOODS FIRE The summer of 1871 was very dry -- no rain fell after June un- til in October. The steams were nearly dried up; the swamps were entirely dry, and where in the latter, water could usually be found on the surface, it became necessary to dig many feet to find it. Almost all the swamps were filled with peat. The ground in the woods was covered many inches in depth with dead leaves, and other decaying vegetable substance, which had become as dry as tinder; many fires had broken out which had not extend over a great area of country, and as similar fires had been seen in 1864, no apprehensions were felt of any serious calamity. On the evening of October 8th the fires started up afresh a few miles north of Oconto, Wis. The wind from the southwest freshened [page 75] driving the fires in this direction and by dark had become a tornado. The fires spread as the wind arose until they united and had acquired a breadth of from ten to twelve miles, and raged along through the woods, sweeping through the Peshtigo Sugar Bushes, in which were farming settlements, and over the farms, leaving only charred ruins and ashes, and dead bodies of human beings and animals -- reaching the village of Peshtigo about eight o'clock in the evening. By nine o'clock that village was in ashes and hundreds of men, women and children, who at dark of that day were unconscious of danger and in the enjoyment of happy life, were in eternity and nothing remained but their charred bodies, or ashes. By half-past nine the fire had reached the Me- nominee river, above and below the village of Marinette; fortu- nately for that village, and the survivors having divided about two miles before reaching it; on the east, it swept through the village of Menekaune, blotting it out of existence and crossed the river at the mouth, burning the Gilmore mill on the Menominee side. On the west it crossed the Menominee river above the rapids sweeping along until it struck the bay shore about one mile north of the village of Menominee, burning a path ten miles wide for about sixteen miles north of Menominee. It also cross- ed the river at the mill of the Ludington, Wells & Van Schaick Company and passed up the flat through the village. This flat was then a swamp covered by grass with but few buildings on it, and with streets on each side. By almost superhuman efforts the fire was prevented from spreading to the buildings on either side. The next morning parties started out in various directions to bring in the wounded and burned; hospitals were established and before night nearly all were brought in. The second day parties went out to search for and bury the dead. The telegraph line was destroyed so that word could not be sent to Green Bay city, and the next day after the fire it was throught necessary to keep our steamboats to take away the people in case the fire should revive and burn the villages of Menominee and Marinette. The night of the 9th the steamers left and carried the fearful news to Green Bay city, and returned the next day freighted with provisions and necessaries for the burnt sufferers, which were collected by the people there in a few hours. From Green Bay the telegraph quickly conveyed the sorrowful news in all [page 76] directions, and it was not long before food and clothing were com- ing from all parts of the country. The fire in its course swept over an area of over 40 miles in length by 10 in width, in about four hours, and it is estimated that about 1200 persons perished in it. The actual number burned to death in Menominee county was 28, but many were burned and otherwise injured who have since died. The space allowed me will not admit of my mentioning the many acts of self-sacrificing generosity witnessed here. If a person loses his faith in our common brotherhood of man, he need to be at once in the midst of such a calamity to regain it. ==========================================================================