It's been called the Forgotten Fire.
On the night of Oct. 8, 1871, a devastating forest fire ripped through Peshtigo and the surrounding area, killing 1,500 people and destroying a swath of land 10 miles wide and 40 miles long. It was the deadliest forest fire in American history. But that same night, a fire in Chicago grabbed headlines and attention, overshadowing the deadlier Wisconsin blaze. ...
Sally Kahl, a museum volunteer, gave me an overview of the fire, explaining how a prolonged drought and 50 mph winds conspired to whip brush fires and smoldering peat fires into the deadly conflagration. Add in old growth white pine surrounding the town, the country's largest woodenware factory and streets paved with sawdust and "it was a disaster waiting to happen," Kahl said.