The Great Fire of 1874
In honor of the 150th anniversary, Judy Olsen details the events and the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1874 in downtown Independence.
In the early morning hours of May 25, 1874, citizens of Independence were awakened to the cries of “Fire! Fire!” As volunteer firefighters rushed to the scene, flames spread north and south, gradually intensifying. Winds kicked up, disturbing what had been a calm night, and the fire began to rage out of control. Four hours later it had been contained, but not before thirty-nine businesses, two hotels, one church, four residences, and two livery stables had been wiped out of existence.
This year is the 150th anniversary of what came to be known as the Great Fire of 1874, and local historian Judy Olsen details the events he events as they unfolded and the aftermath that led to the architectural beauty and continuity of our downtown district today.
For more information, email iplprograms@gmail.com, call 319-334-2470, or go to website at www.independenceia.org/library.