On October 8, 2021, Northeast Wisconsin commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Great Fire, more widely known as the 1871 Peshtigo Fire.
Just two years after the Great Fire, Kewaunee Enterprise
editor, John Read, was warning folks who were again casting caution to the
wind. While farmers were setting their spring pasture fires, fires were
spreading in the woods. Why the pasture fires? Farmers were ridding the ground
of weeds and overgrowth to make it easier for mostly wooden plows to break
ground.
Fifteen years after the Great Fire - August 1886 - fires
were doing inestimable damages in Door and Kewaunee Counties. The fires brought
havoc to farms, destroying fields, homes, and other buildings. Although Ahnapee
Record reported the losses in the thousands, the paper said it didn’t have
all the information. However, one thing was certain: the two counties were
experiencing a major drought. Fires went from bad to worse, and farmers were in
eminent danger. Once again, miles of fences and standing grain burned while
cattle died in smoke and flames. Without a heavy rain, opined the Record, the
fire would be as disastrous, if not more so, as 1871.
In late May, the Enterprise reported that the home and all contents belonging to Mrs. Ellen Fitzgibbons, about two miles north of Kewaunee on the Ahnapee Road, was totally destroyed. The fire began in a lower room while Mrs. Fitzgibbons and her son Pat were in the kitchen. The fire spread so fast that there was nothing they could do, however, Pat tried to get upstairs for clothing and other property. Smoke made breathing impossible, and in trying to open a window, he severed his left wrist artery. Pat and his mother quickly got to Kewaunee where Dr. Simon was able to dress the life-threatening cut and take care of Mrs. Fitzgibbons’ badly burned face and hands. The house was insured for $350, but the total loss was about $600.
On the same date, the Hamachek & Co. foundry and machine
shop at Ahnapee caught fire, narrowly escaping total destruction. The fire
originated when chimney sparks hit the roof. Most machinery had been removed
and damage stood at about $215.00. It was felt business would be up and running
within a short time. A month earlier, fire broke out in the Ahnapee brewery
causing about $1,000 in damages covered by insurance. While the two businesses
had fires within a month, neither seemed to be associated with fires in the
woods. If the drought was a major issue, it was not mentioned.
Then, Knipfer’s wagon shop, tools, wagon, buggy, and
seasoned wood were destroyed by fire in August. Fire threatened the place twice before the 12th when it burned. On the 5th , pails of water saved the place The next time, citizens saved the building,
but the third time was destructive.
It was another story when just after the Hamachek fire, word reached Ahnapee that Ed Decker’s Casco woodenware works and sawmill were burning down, however, the fire was extinguished and damage was not significant. Decker was again fortunate. At the time of the Great Fire, his mill was among the seven sawmills in a line from Scofield’s at Red River to Daul’s in New Franken, and the one that escaped major damage fifteen years earlier. Though Decker was lucky, Fred Dickinson of Casco was forced to flee his residence. Another Casco resident, Joseph Wessley, lost his barn on the 18th. Its contents were saved, however 5,000’ of lumber burned in a loss estimated to be $400. Fires were jumping around’
When folks in Tisch Mills said in June that the soil was
exceptionally dry and a heavy rain would be welcome, they spoke for everyone in
Kewaunee County. The Enterprise concurred saying south and east of Tisch
Mills the fires and damage would be as disastrous as 1871, if not greater.
Fires were raging in Montpelier and to New Denmark and to
the Brown County line. Behind the fire there were only ashes. The Enterprise
referred to the Quenching Fire Society and the Water Tank Association, two
groups made up of “noble” farmers who, the paper said, would live on in
memories as long as residents lived.
A few weeks later, Montpelier farmer S. Hanschak’s home and
contents were destroyed in a nighttime fire. The family woke in time to escape
with their lives and the clothing they were wearing. Being of limited means and
having six children but no insurance, Hanscheks solicitated food and clothing
for the children.
If it was possible, the ground was getting drier while winds
were so strong that resisting the fire was almost in vain. In early July, several
families left their homes to seek shelter elsewhere, feeling if rain didn’t
come soon, everything would be lost.
By the third week of July, Franklin residents were
terrorized having seen nothing but fire and ashes since July 4th. It
was said fires were relentless in their destruction. Forest lands belonging to
James DeWane, Fred Long, Joseph Lipse, Peter Wineken, John Wurnekin, M. Lawlor,
H. Houlihan, George Wohen, Fred Berber and many others were either partially or
totally wiped out.
August did not improve: fires got worse. A Pierce Town farm family
– Grab – had gone to bed before their fire started. It was difficult to escape
without being burned, but the family did. Grabs were another of the poor
families who lost everything.
It wasn’t only Kewaunee County families. On August 12, the Record
told readers that John Mueller of Forestville was away when a fire that had raged
in the woods for several days destroyed his home and its contents before
anybody was aware of the fire. Joseph Bretl was another Forestville resident
who lost his home. It was felt the home was incinerated as flames spread
rapidly when a stiff breeze came up. Clay Banks farmer Caspar Sileny was
another who fell victim to the fire when his barn, four hogs, the hay, and a
field of peas were destroyed. Insurance was expected to cover the $400 loss.
Within a week the paper pointed to burning bridges and
culverts, making some roads impassable. Residents said the smoke was so dense
that the sun was obscured, and that ash and cinders were strewn across the
entire town of Forestville just as in 1871. One hundred years later, the great
Yogi Bera would have said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
Reports of Bottkol Bros.
losing their Town of Lincoln mill were without foundation, but Lincoln farmer
Martin Kumbers lost everything while helping others. Offering his assistance,
Kumbers left his home to aid neighbors fight the fires. Although fires were not
in evidence around his house when he left, Kumbers returned in the evening to find
the fire had destroyed his home, stables and the cattle in them, the outhouse, and farm machinery. His losses stood at $1000, partially covered by $700 in
insurance.
In West Kewaunee, there were grave concerns for Stransky’s
mill. On August 9, Kewaunee City Council met to allow
Wojta Stransky to use the old fire engine and hose “provided he returns said
engine in case of need.” A large number of men and one of the Kewaunee
fire engines went out to guard the buildings. Although two barns and a granary
were lost, the fire was kept from Stransky’s mill and home.
West Kewaunee was seeing such fierce flames that Kewaunee
residents went to help fight fires as they did in the Town of Pierce in 1871.
Fred Keup was among the unfortunate when his barn, 23 tons of hay, 20 bushels of
wheat, 10 bushels of rye, an entire crop of peas, his wagon, new harnesses, 5
dressed pigs, all his poultry, granary, and farm machinery were destroyed.
Although Keup was insured for $300, the
loss was estimated at $1,000. W. Nowak of West Kewaunee lost his barn,
hay and fodder while trying to save his horses from the burning barn. He and
his brother were both severely burned. Nowak’s insurance - $700 – was expected
to cover his losses.
A few days later, Kewaunee’s fire company brought out the
new fire engine to wet down buildings in the village.
Thirteen farmers were burned out in Montpelier and Luxemburg,
and then George Pachl, treasurer of Farmers’ Home Fire Insurance Co. of
Montpelier, reported 17 losses to his
company. Lorenz Kadletz, Peter Schwiner, John Hallada, Jacob Repitz, John
Murphy, John Kolar, Joseph Wortruba and John Anderele were burned out. Matt
Konop was thought to be fortunate when he “only” lost his barn and some crops. Anton
Mahlik told the Enterprise the forest fires caused damaged buildings,
fences, crops, and timber. He lost two buildings and contents, 8 pigs, and a
quantity of wheat. His store and residence narrowly escaped destruction while a
nearby schoolhouse, District #5, was destroyed.
John Bucholtz had just finished a new barn before the fire
burned it along with the machinery in it and four hogs. Bucholtz had insurance
to cover the $400 loss. William Kuehl lived a few miles south of Kewaunee. His
home and barn were burned. Joe Pavlat was another who lost his barn, which was
insured. Pavlat buried most of his household goods in an old well before going
to Kewaunee till the fire danger passed.
The Town of Franklin was reporting dire conditions in mid-August.
Hot weather and heavy winds brought thousands of dollars of losses to farm
property and standing crops. Its correspondent to the Enterprise felt
that without heavy rains to check progress of the fires, the results would be a
repeat of 1871.
Besides the above, the Franklin correspondent said many other
hamlets were destroyed, however the scribe did not have names of the
unfortunate. During the first two days of the week, it was reported that
terrified farmers and their families went to Kewaunee to get away from danger.
Franklin District #6 school was in danger of burning just as the “Franklin heroes”
arrived in time to save it. Crops were in poor condition when Jacob Selner lost
most of what he had left.
Just over the Kewaunee-Manitowoc County line, there were
major fires between Two Rivers and Two Creeks. The stage driver between the two
places said he saw over 50 teams hauling water to fight the fire, and farmers
were plowing to prevent the spread of fires.
Once again, as it was in 1871, smoke from burning forests
made breathing difficult and odors made folks nauseous. Again, the sun was
nearly blocked out and there was so much smoke on the lakes, blowing fog
whistles was necessary to prevent boats from colliding.
While the county papers
reported on fires within the county, they also reported that fires were worse
in other parts of the state. The Marathon County village of Spencer was nearly
wiped out the day before seven blocks of homes in DePere burned leaving 30
families homeless. There were other fires in Brown County and beyond.
On September 9, 1886, the Enterprise called attention
that leaving home for 30 days negated insurance policies unless the insurance
company gave its written consent.
Insurance scams followed the Great Fire of 1871, and it
appeared that it was happening again when the Door County Advocate
reported in August that St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. agent John
McClure was in the Door County Towns of Brussels, Union, and Gardner. Company
executives had sent McClure to assess the risk of the insured because of the
forest fires. McClure cancelled 21 policies and adjusted losses of others,
including those of J.P. Kirby’s barn and the loss of O. Dedekar’s (Dedecker’s) farmhouse,
barn, and contents. Both lived in the Town of Brussels. McClure planned to
return within a few weeks to cancel other policies in Door and Kewaunee
Counties.
The droughts of 1871 and 1886 were not the most severe in Wisconsin. The Dust Bowl Drought, 1931-1939, was the worst in human history. https://www,drought.gov/states/wisconsin tells us, "Since 200, the longest duration of drought (Dl-D4) in Wisconsin lasted 108 weeks beginning on August 26, 2008, and ending on September 14, 2010. The most intense period of drought occurred the week of July 24, 1012, where D3 affected 19.69 of Wisconsin land."
To learn more about droughts, and specifically droughts in Wisconsin, simply Google to find information and maps from the National WEather Service, and other specialized government agencies. One site mentions a mid-west drought in the 1200s, and https://www. Wisconsin history.org says, "Forest fires scorched Wisconsin's landscape in almost every decade in the 19th and 20th centuries. The most serious disasters occurred between 1847 and 1899, with 1871 as the worst year for foret fires in state history. Rapid settlement outpaced the development of controls and safety measures.
To put the victims' 1886 losses in perspective, the CPI Inflation Calculator gives the value of $1,000 from 1886 to 2002 saying, "$1,000 in 1886 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $31,522.45 today, an increase of $30,522.45 over 136 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.57% per year between 1886 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 3,052.24%."
Sources:
Ahnapee Record, CPI Inflation Calculator, Door County Advocate,
Kewaunee Enterprise; https://www.drought.gov/states/wisconsin;
https://www.Wisconsinhistory.org
