Great Chicago Fire of 1871

Wood bowling alley flooring from the Jefferson Ice Company's single lane bowling alley - Al Capone’s Weekend Retreat.

All blanks will come with one COA per blank. COAs are 4" x 6" card stock with silver foil embossed COA seal.

Blank Tube Size Descriptions:

• Pen Blanks are 3/4" sq

The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city, led to the conflagration. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago and then leapt the main branch of the river, consuming the Near North Side.

The fire is claimed to have started at about 8:30 p.m. on October 8, in or around a small barn belonging to the O'Leary family that bordered the alley behind 137 W. DeKoven Street. The shed next to the barn was the first building to be consumed by the fire. City officials never determined the cause of the blaze, but the rapid spread of the fire due to a long drought in that year's summer, strong winds from the southwest, and the rapid destruction of the water pumping system, explain the extensive damage of the mainly wooden city structures.

The wood sourced for this item was removed by Hans Wilkins during a November 2013 renovation of the third floor, top floor, of the Coach House off alley in the teens block of East Division Chicago, IL. This structure was the only one on the block to survive the Great Chicago Fire. The wood is distributed and certified by Hardin Penworks, LLC.