The Peshtigo Fire

A significant forest fire broke out on October 8, 1871, in a Wisconsin logging region close to the little community of Peshtigo. Between 1,200 and 1,500 people perished in the terrible firestorm, which scorched over 1.2 million acres of land and may have been the deadliest wildfire in American history. You'd think that a catastrophe like that would make the front page of every newspaper in the nation.

Not exactly, as the Great Chicago Fire also occurred on the same day. That fire occurred in one of the largest cities in the nation, so it comes as no surprise that it received far more media and public attention even though the death toll there was much lower. Even though it was discredited decades ago, the myth that Mrs. O'Leary's cow set the disastrous fire by tossing a lamp onto a stack of hay is still widely believed today.

The Peshtigo fire, which wasn't even the only one, is now seldom remembered outside of Wisconsin. The same weather conditions that fanned the flames in Peshtigo are believed to have caused or at least contributed to a number of additional fires that day that spread throughout the Midwest.

• Date: October 8, 1871