title: The Essential Great Chicago Fire
author:  William Pack 
description: William Pack got his first job in a magic shop at the age of 11 and he has been perfecting his trade ever since. He is a graduate of the Chavez College of Manual Dexterity and Prestidigitation, an award winning professional magician and storyteller, Victorian sance reenactor, former card cheat, ex-casino surveillance, occasional author, world-renowned magic historian, and magic consultant for the movie Ali, starring Will Smith. Born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago, he is a rabid lover of local history. The more lurid the better. Further information on William can be found at: williampack.com.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Title Page![pasted-image.png](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  ![image.png](../images/00002.jpeg)
  
  A Novel of the Great Chicago Fire
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  #
  
  # By Peter J. Spalding
  
  Original edition copyright 2010 - Revised edition copyright 2014 - All rights
  reserved
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Map![Map old.jpg](../images/00003.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  PART I: THE OLD CHICAGO![image-1.png](../images/00004.jpeg)![Chicago in
  1871.jpg](../images/00005.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter One: Biggest Boomtown in the
  World![image-2.png](../images/00006.jpeg)![image-3.png](../images/00007.jpeg)
  
  “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country!”
  
  — Horace Greeley
  
  ![image-4.png](../images/00008.jpeg)
  
  SIMON CALDWELL HAD ALWAYS WANTED ADVENTURE IN HIS LIFE. Anyone who knew him—
  and indeed anyone who ever met him— could immediately see what a restless
  person he was. He rarely sat down for more than a minute at a time, and he was
  almost never quiet. He invariably sought out new friends and new experiences;
  he jumped at every chance to make so