By 1870 , Lena 's population had reached 1,295 people and its social and business community continued to grow . The Lena Fire Department was established in 1869 and officially met for the first time in 1870 . Despite the presence of the fire department and well , fires continued to plague Lena . During the early 1870s , structure fires consumed a warehouse , a stable , a rural school and several Lena houses . News of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was unsettling to the residents of Lena , and a fire of 1874 nearly destroyed the old railway depot and freight houses
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Lena, Illinois