Download The Lakeside Memorial of the Burning of Chicago Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Excerpt from The Lakeside Memorial of the Burning of Chicago: A. D. 1871, With Illustrations The Conflagration of Chicago, October 8th and 9th, Anno Domini 1871, will form a memorable event in the future history not only of our own country but of the world; and therefore it is that we propose to embody in a permanent and accessible form for the benefit of the future annalist, the principal incidents connected with this tremendous event. This conflagration; in the amount of property consumed, is beyond the memory or example of ancient or modern times. Other great conflagrations, like those of London and of Moscow, swept away districts but imperfectly built, which subsequent enterprise beautified and adorned; but this conflagration wiped out the most substantially-built and beautifully adorned portion of the city structures, which in their solidity and in their architectural details commanded the admiration of every beholder. There are men yet living and in the prime of manhood, who saw the site of Chicago when it was but a wet prairie. They have seen its fairest portions laid in waste; and they will live, very many of them, to see every trace of this waste obliterated. The same causes which led to the rapid growth of this city are still in operation; and this conflagration, disastrous as it was, will prove but a temporary check in the development of the great metropolis of the Northwest. To comprehend the causes of the unprecedented growth of the city, and at the same time the magnitude of the disaster, it may not be deemed inopportune if we recur to her earlier history, and trace her progress, step by step, from small beginnings until she attained her late commanding position the fourth city in point of population, and the third city in point of commercial importance, in the United States. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.