The Great Fire of 1873 was one of the most important and frightening events in early Portland history. It happened on August 2, 1873, during a hot, dry summer when the city had not seen much rain. Early that morning, around 4:20 a.m., a fire started in the Hurgren and Shindler furniture store at First and Taylor streets, close to the Willamette River. The shop was full of wood, oil, and varnish, which made the fire burn very hot and spread very fast.
At first, people did not realize how serious the fire was. Portland only had volunteer firefighters, and the main alarm bell was hard to hear over the roar of the flames. By the time firefighters reached the scene, the fire had already spread to nearby buildings, including the Metropolitan Hotel, which soon burned completely. Strong heat and wind helped the flames jump from building to building, and the water system struggled to keep up.
As the fire grew, Portland realized it could not handle the disaster alone. Nearby towns quickly stepped in to help. Firefighters and volunteers from places such as Oregon City, Vancouver, and even Salem hurried to Portland by wagon, steamboat and train. Even with this outside support, the flames continued to spread, but the teamwork between towns showed how communities supported each other during emergencies.
The damage was huge for a young city. The Great Fire destroyed about twenty‑two city blocks in downtown Portland on the west side of the Willamette River. Homes, stores, mills, hotels, and factories all burned. In the end, around 100 retail stores, 250 homes, and several important businesses and public buildings were gone. Many families lost their houses and had to camp in city parks. Some businesses had insurance, but others did not, so many people lost almost everything they owned.
The cause of the fire was never proven. Some people at the time believed it was started on purpose by someone who disliked Chinese residents, because there had been another fire in 1872 that began in a Chinese laundry nearby. However, there was no clear proof, so the official cause remains unknown.
Even though the fire was a tragedy, it also changed Portland in important ways. The city improved its fire alarm system so bells could be heard farther away, and later added alarm boxes connected by telegraph wires. Leaders and business owners worked together to rebuild downtown. Over the next few years, many new brick and stone buildings were built slightly farther west.
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Discussion Questions:
How has fire fighting improved today?
Are buildings built differently to reduce the chance of fire?
Vocabulary: varnish, insurance, tragedy
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State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.1 Examine how different levels of city and county government provide services to members of a community. Civics and Government
Social Studies 3.11. Describe how individuals, groups, events and developments have shaped the communities and regions. Multicultural Studies, Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.19 Analyze different ways that people, other living things, and the environment might be affected by an event, issue, or problem. Social Science Analysis