north to Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Great Third Ward Fire The second tragedy struck on October 28, 1892. A fire started by spontaneous combustion at the Union Oil & Paint Co. building along the Milwaukee River at Water Street. Strong winds of up to 50 mph helped to spread the fire to the Ward's other buildings. The fire quickly grew out of control. Cities such as Chicago, Kenosha, Racine, Sheboygan and Oshkosh sent horse-drawn units by rail to help Milwaukee's fire department fight the flames. A total of 440 buildings were destroyed and more than 1,900 people, mostly Irish families, were left without homes by the time the fire was finally under control at midnight. Those families sought shelter in the Third Ward School, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, and the old St. Gall's Church housed hundreds overnight. Victims also received meal tickets to restaurants and clothing. Reconstruction Prominent local architects stepped in to design many of the commercial structures after the 1892 fire. Over the next 36 years construction continued, giving the buildings an interesting continuity that unifies the neighborhood because of this relatively short time of development. Italian immigrants replaced the Irish during this period of reconstruction, and the Irish had moved to different areas in the city. The Italians were very prolific in the warehouse businesses, establishing Commission Row, a grouping of grocery commission houses. By 1915, 29 Italian saloons, 45 Italian groceries, an Italian bank and two spaghetti factories populated the Ward. Grocery warehouses, liquor distributors dry goods businesses and manufacturers were the business that flourished during this time. Urban Decline and Renewal Highway construction displaced the close-knit Italian Third Ward community in the 1960s. The trucking industry and suburb growth led to the decline of warehouse operations and industry. Ironically, Milwaukee's first architectural landmark was named in 1967, the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Catholic Church, the same year it was demolished for construction of the I-794 freeway. By the 1970s, the area became known as a Red-light district to the dismay of many long-standing residents and business owners. As a result, several business owners united to successfully combat the spread of "red light" uses in the neighborhood. By the 1980s, a growing number of Milwaukeeans began to realize the architectural and cultural value of the district. "The Historic Third Ward District" is established by the National Register of Historic Places as it accepts