On the night of October 8, 1871, a wall of fire roared out of the Wisconsin woods and erased the town of Peshtigo in a matter of minutes. More than 1,200 people were killed, making it the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history – yet its story was overshadowed almost immediately by the Great Chicago Fire burning the same night.
In this episode, Jake takes listeners into the story of the disaster and its surprising legacy.
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This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores:
- Jake’s role as “Mr. Sadman” — and why grim stories matter
- Civil War veterans who survived the battlefield only to face Peshtigo
- Peshtigo as the “Sodom” of the Upper Midwest
- The shockingly destructive power of fire and wind
- How firestorms evolved into a weapon of modern war
- What Peshtigo can teach us as urban wildfires again reshape American life
Listen to our previous podcast episode
Podcast | From Mauch Chunk to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
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