Andrew J. Wright Livery Stables
Life Span: 1866-1871
Location: North Clark Street and Kinzie, near bridge
Architect:
History of Chicago, A. T. Andreas, 1884
The Fire Reaches the North Side.—The first authentic account of the presence of the fire on the North Side is furnished by Judge Lambert Tree, whose valuable statement is given in succeeding pages. At not later than half-past one o’clock a.m., Judge Tree crossed from his office, on the South Side, and discovered little fires burning in the State street bridge, and at different points along the street, where dried leaves had become ignited by vagrant sparks which fell incessantly from the Southside fire. But these incipient fires were not the cause of the destruction of that vast area, extending from the main branch of the river to Lincoln Park at Fullerton Avenue, and from the lake, sweeping, with an irregular western boundary, a territory of about fourteen hundred and eighty-eight acres.
On the authority of Andrew J. Wright, who observed the time by his office clock, as he was driven from the building by the flames, we state that Wright’s stables took fire at half-past ywop a.m., October 9.
There was a huge quantity of oil in a train of cars which stood on the North-Western Railroad track, south of the stables. This highly combustible substance ignited in some manner unknown, and instantky enwrapped the stables in flames. The proprietor, anticipating danger, had caused his more valuable horses to be harnessed, ready to escape if the situation appeared perilous; but so suddenly did the flames envelop the entire structure that the noble animals, many of which were of high value, could not be driven out in time to save them. There has been much litigation over the losses entailed by this disaster, but only those points which are historically important are here mentioned.
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