Port Huron Fire of 1871 as a result of the Port Huron Fire, and at least 200 from all the fires in the state. The origins of the fires are unknown, but the damage was worsened by a number of factors. Uninterrupted drought had plagued the Midwest into early October and winds were strong. When the wind increased and shifted direction, fire fighters were unable to control the flames any longer. Vast tracts of forest burned for a week in parts of Michigan and Wisconsin. Within hours, several Midwestern cities and towns were reduced to charcoal and ash. That same night, the Great Chicago Fire
George Stanhope, 8th Earl of Chesterfield George Stanhope, 8th Earl of Chesterfield George Philip Stanhope (29 November 1822 – 19 October 1883) was the 8th Earl of Chesterfield, succeeding to the title on the death of his third cousin, the 7th Earl, in 1871. He was the son of George Charles Stanhope and Jane Galbraith. Stanhope married, firstly, Marianne Roche, daughter of William Roche, on 8 April 1856. Secondly, he married Catherine Jane Jarvis Bond, daughter of John Hildebrand Bond, on 7 March 1877. Thirdly, he married Agnes Payne, daughter of James Payne, on 7 December 1882. In 1841 George Philip Stanhope, 8th Earl of Chesterfield