Chicago Fire Archive

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004

The Great Fire in Chicago began on October 8, 1871. It burned for two days and left 300 dead and 100,000 homeless. The entire central business district was left in ruins. Group of fifteen letters by Chicago resident C. Granville Hammond, including five letters directly related to the Chicago fire, 16p. total, from October 14, 1871-November 17, 1871, and read in part: "….[10/14/1871]Should have telegraphed you but the lines have been down…I have lost nearly all but my house & lot in Highland Park - another lot not with my homestead, & the Pony & buggy. Very fortunately I had $100 loaned out at Highland Park which is good & is being paid up…The stocks are mostly wiped out, but of course there is great demand for money. My customers who placed funds are now in need of money themselves, & if I can procure it for them I can make a living - but it will be a long time before I can do the business I did before the fire. It is pitable to have men come to me & urge me to make every effort to procure them money who a week ago today were worth from $100,000 to $1,000,000. I have a few correspondents outside of Chicago but they all hold Chicago paper and have funds locked up in the ruins…The whole of the North side was destroyed and all of Uncle Charles property burnt. He had some stock in the Pullman Palace Car Company which is worth $1.10 and his salary left. Insurance will turn out better than we had dared to hope, so he will save something out of the wreck…You can't conceive of the utter ruin & loss. There is not a building standing on the South Side from South Water St. to Harrison St & from the Lake to the River with two exceptions. Our maginificent hotels, Churches, Post Office, Court House, Chamber of Commerce, the Rock Island & Michigan Southern Depot (about 2000 ft in length & the largest & best in the United States) and all of our Banking & Insurance buildings are completely destroyed. Also the Ill Central & Mich Central Depot which was built when you were here. It took the whole of the business part of the city. The North Side was nearly all residence property and the destruction is complete. Just imagine if you can the whole City of Boston burnt up & Cambridge & Charelstown left…Already the ruins are being cleared away, & buildings are going up. I noticed one yesterday on Madison Street which was laid up to the first story & which the builder told me would be done in 60 days, 4 stories high…The Chicago City Railway (South Side horse cars) sustained but little damage. Their stables were burnt & so much of their track as was injured by fire has been relaid and the cars are running over the whole line. There has been no diminishing of receipts and it is the best thing we have left. A week ago today its stock was worth $1.15…The stock is worth as much today intrinsically as it was before the fire and I have been offered for it this week 80 cents by a 'Shylock' who wants to take advantage of peoples necessities…[10/14/71 from his wife Mary] We ought to have written you before this, but the first of the week there were no mails from here, and since then we have been having fires in the woods all round us…The sufferers in the City are sheltered in the Churches, Public Schools & among their friends…They say there are not less than 150,000 left homeless & 3000 acres burned. All the business portion of the City & all the North Side. Uncle Charles & Fanny have both lost their houses…The loss of life has been fearful. Then we are having terrible fires in the Wisconsin lumber district & the loss of life there has been terrible too…[10/19/71] Have made less than $15 this week…Temporary structures are going up rapidly & some permanent ones, but it is too near winter to make many of the latter. Fanny saved some of her things, but lost a great deal. Uncle Charles lost all his houses. Don't know about insurance yet, but presume he saved something…[10/29/71] My time has been principally taken up with the gratuitous labor in getting at the standing of drawers of notes sold by me before the fire…I trust to be able to make a living this winter…I have not yet learned whether our mortgage can be extended or not…The fire seems to affect Boston & New York, and indeed Hartford & other insurance points. The loss was so great, that all must bear a part. Our Banks will not suffer to so great an extent as was supposed at first - altho' it is next to impossible to tell yet what proportion of the bills receivable will met at maturity…One thing seems to be certain - the rebuilding of our city will be very rapid - probably more so than if it were any other City in the West - both because of our 'view' & our position at the head of the Lakes & also because it was largely built up on Eastern Capital that to secure the money already loaned more must be advanced. If you will obtain 'Harper's Weekly' for this last week…it will give you a correct idea of the appearance of Chicago in ruins. Have moved my office to 386 Wabash Ave…Our Churches are great sufferers as you no doubt have learnt & last Sunday many of the congregations held services in the ruins. The New England Church to which Uncle Charles belonged, lost their house & it is stated not one member escaped the loss of their homes…[11/17/71]Since writing you last I have been enabled to do something but not as much as before the fire. I think however my commissions will be from $200 to $300 this month & trust they will keep at that figure all winter…Money is very easy and likely to remain so until Spring when some funds now idle will be employed in rebuilding…I think there will be but little done in loans for some time, confidence seems to be so thoroughly shaken. I think I shall stick to my old business rather than try something else or get a situation. It is safe to say I sell three quarters of the stocks sold in this market…The buildings we were to have our offices in will not now be built…It takes double the time to do business now than it did before the fire; people are so scattered & for that reason I don't do as much as I would otherwise. The First Natl Bank Building is being repaired and as soon as completed I shall probably take my old office again…" All Fine….plus; Ten ALsS of Hammond, 1867-1871, all from Chicago, and most on his letterhead. Fine. (15 items)

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