Great Chicago Fire the east, the town of Holland, Michigan, and other nearby areas burned to the ground. Some to the north of Holland, the lumbering community of Manistee also went up in flames in what became known as The Great Michigan Fire. Farther east, along the shore of Lake Huron, the Port Huron Fire swept through Port Huron, Michigan and much of Michigan's "Thumb". On October 9, 1871, a fire swept through the city of Urbana, Illinois, south of Chicago, destroying portions of its downtown area. Windsor, Ontario, likewise burned on October 12. The city of Singapore, Michigan, provided a large portion
Great Revere train wreck of 1871 Great Revere train wreck of 1871 The Great Revere train wreck of 1871 occurred on the evening of August 26, 1871, when the Eastern Railroad's "Portland Express" slammed into the rear of a stopped local train at Revere, Massachusetts. The accident occurred on a very busy Saturday evening with three large weekend events taking place in Boston causing heavier than usual traffic on the railroads, especially on the Eastern Railroad's line. Normally, the Eastern ran 152 trains on weekend days, but with two large revivals and military muster taking place, the number of trains running to accommodate the extra load