What a difference 140 years makes

There is a wildfire burning near Peshtigo, Wisconsin.  Big deal, you say? It's a relatively small fire, though they appear to be having some difficulty putting it out. No loss of property or life is expected.

Pestigo is the scene of one of the worst recorded forest fires in North American history, though few outside Wisconsin are aware of it. A much smaller fire to the south just happened to burn its way into history on the same day - something about a cow, a lantern and an Irish immigrant named Mrs. Leary.

The Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871 burned 1.5 million acres, claiming anywhere between 1,200 and 2,400 lives. Because the area was still primarily frontier with a mobile and ever-changing population, an accurate count of the dead couldn't be reached. The only telegraph line for miles went down in the fire; it took two days for word of the fire to reach the state capitol at Madison.

The linked website includes a section of survivor stories that is fascinating, if you like glimpses into what life was like when the state was still being settled.