Wisconsin History Day By Day

Related Web Sites:
Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Wikipedia)

Great Fire of 1875


Read More About It

"Land Rich Enough: An Illustrated History of Oshkosh and Winnebago County" by Michael J. Goc


Vocabulary:

district
reconstructed


Interesting Fact:

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 had a big impact on Oshkosh with much of the lumber used to rebuild Chicago coming from Oshkosh sawmills.


Study Questions:

  • What was the cause of the 1875 fire?
  • What were other large fires in Wisconsin cities during the nineteenth century?
  • Has Oshkosh suffered any major fires since 1875? If so, when?


    U.S. historical events that occurred on April 28:

    1788: Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.



    • April 28

    April 28, 1875: The business district of Oshkosh was destroyed by fire, burning an area a mile long and a quarter-mile wide. The wooden houses and stores were easily burned. Oshkosh had been rebuilt with wood after fires in 1859, 1866 and 1874. The damage of the 1875 fire was so great the business district was reconstructed with stone and brick.

    Wisconsin History Day By Day homepage
    January - December calendar page